


The Gamble Of Life

by AllDressedUpAndNaked



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Aged up characters, Dipper and Mabel are almost 16, Fanart has been added in chapter 11!!, Human Bill Cipher, I hate tags, M/M, This is going to be cute af
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-30
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2018-12-21 21:34:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 46,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11953092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllDressedUpAndNaked/pseuds/AllDressedUpAndNaked
Summary: Approximately 8,000 years ago- "I wouldn't be surprised if these creatures end up being the death of us," Ax sighed, concerned eyes staring down. "Nah, they're not smart enough, but if they do, I bet they'll end up destroying you, first," Bill said smugly as he and his companion surveyed the goings-on of the world from their vantage point. "I think I'll take that bet."Bill Cipher's arrogance would assure he would someday lose that bet.Yeah, I suck at summaries.  The story is about how Dipper realizes his feelings for Bill are very real...with maybe a little help from Mabel.





	1. The Silent Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story I started on ff.net but moved to here. It's kinda cute, kinda funny, hopefully you all like it.
> 
> Update:  
> (Title recently shortened, message me if it's absolutely imperative that you know what it was before.)

**The Silent Stranger**

 

_Approximately 8,000 years ago-_

“I wouldn’t be surprised if these creatures end up being the death of us,” Ax sighed, concerned eyes staring down.

Humans hadn’t been around for too long yet, maybe only a few hundred years.  They had managed to increase in number quite quickly, though.  And they were creative...and crafty...and could be downright sinful.  Axolotl and his friend had taken to paying close attention to these humans.  Both beings were interested in them for differing reasons, of course, but both were still wary of them and their capabilities, nonetheless.

“Nah, they’re not smart enough, but if they do, I bet they’ll end up destroying _you_ , first,” Bill said smugly as he and his companion surveyed the goings-on of the world from their vantage point. 

Axolotl was a spirit of jesting and general silliness that was all in fun, but also maintained harmony and order for creation.  Conversely, Bill was a spirit of chaos and discord, and he was just plain annoying.  They complimented each other, and the earth, perfectly, and so were generally always together.  There were other beings of their type around, and they would keep company with them on occasion, but they enjoyed each other’s friendship most.

Both stayed away from Lucifer, however.  They knew getting involved with him would only lead to their own demise.  When mankind was ultimately tricked by that malevolent serpent, an event leading to banishment from the perfect garden provided to them by the Creator, they had both looked at each other and exclaimed, “Point proven!” in unison.

“Oh, really?  You think you’re all that, do you?  I think I’ll take that bet.”  Axolotl gave Bill a friendly nudge with his broad tail.

“You’re on, then, sucker!” 

The only stipulation of their bet was that the winner would be able to choose when, and as what, the loser would return.  Bill was confident that it would never happen, but wanted to humor his friend, so he agreed.  He had a few choice things in mind for Axolotl if he were to win the bet.  He had a sick sense of humor.  Unbeknownst to him, Ax could have a messed up sense of humor, also.  Bill would find out just how messed up in about 8,000 years.

Over the next several millennia, Bill would take full advantage of humans and their sinful desires, making deals with them that he knew they wouldn’t be able to keep, and gaining power and control in the process.  He kept the form the humans deified him as, a golden triangle with one eye.  They called him a dream demon since he liked to mess with their minds, especially at night. 

Axolotl remained more in the background of life, choosing to watch and study, helping out creation where he could with stability and order.  His form was that of a salamander-like creature.  He was also a golden yellow color with six bright orange, feathery, external gills that added to his comical appearance.  He wasn’t deified by people, and never showed himself to them.  Ax was the smart one.

 Life was good for the two beings, and Bill thought it was best for him, especially.   He found out one day, however, that his good life was about to end, thanks to a particularly astute human and his family.

 ~~~~~~~~~~

  _“_ _Stanley_ _!”_

This was the last word spoken out of the, well, eye? of Bill Cipher.  He didn’t even have a mouth, let alone vocal chords.  Nobody was quite sure how he spoke, though that was never a cause for disturbance among the people he came in contact with.  No, Bill’s lack of a mouth was usually the least of their problems.  He knew how to handle humans; knew how to deal with them in more ways than one.  That is, until he met the Pines family.

He never saw it coming.  The all-powerful, all-seeing Bill Cipher, didn’t know until it was too late.  He had been tricked into entering the wrong mind; the mind of the five-fingered twin, the wrong twin.  Before he was completely annihilated by the erasing of Stan’s mind, however, realization struck him.  He had lost the bet.  There was only one thing he could do.  Axolotl would have to bring him back, based on the merits of that bet. 

 _“If the day comes where a human has bested one of us, and you or I are at the brink of total obliteration, we simply need to call upon the other and our being will be saved,”_ he recalled Axolotl’s words.

 _But what was that last part we agreed to... Aaagh!  No time...!_  “ _Axolotl!  The time has come for me to burn!  I invoke the power that I may return!”_ Bill managed to speak the words they had laid out so many millennia ago, just before the blue fire consumed him. 

And then...blackness.

He was surrounded by what could only be described as a void.  Nothingness was all around him, it was just black.  There was no up or down, no anywhere.  His consciousness was aware of the fact that he was alive, but not of much else.  He couldn’t see or hear or feel.  He simply was...aware of his state of being.  He had no sense of time, and so couldn’t know how long he had been in this state, not that he cared because there were no longer any emotional feelings he could attach to.

The next thing Bill knew, he was opening a pair of eyes, gazing out into a dark sky littered with tiny pinpoint lights and a larger light that made a strange shape, almost like a sideways smile.  He turned to one side and saw a staggered, shadowy outline where no more tiny lights could be seen.  He turned the other way and saw another light, but it was a different color from the others, and bigger.  It seemed to be attached to something, but his mind couldn’t tell him yet what it was.

He could feel something cool and slightly wet under his fingers as he wiggled them around.  It was soft, and could be easily picked out from where it was anchored.  He rolled onto his side, bracing himself to stand upright, and realized the slightly wet stuff was all around him.  It gave him a strange, but not unpleasing, sensation wherever it touched him.

As Bill began to stand, a heavy feeling came over him, like something was willing him to stay close to the ground.  He finally got up on his feet, standing in one spot for a few moments to find his balance.

He turned his head again towards the shadows, and then back to the soft light in the opposite direction.  Feeling the need to go in the direction that allowed him to see things, he opted for the light.  On shaky legs, Bill managed to walk the 40 or so yards to the source of the light, but not without effort.  Needing to rest, he noticed there was something under the light that looked big enough for him to lie down on.  He sat on it, the surface giving way just slightly under him.  It wasn’t as hard as the ground, and also wasn’t wet, so he decided to rest there.

When he opened his eyes again, he could see his surroundings better.  There was a soft glow of pinkish-orange light filtering in through what he could now see were trees in the distance.  Above him was a wooden covering keeping him from seeing the sky directly.  He saw the same light from earlier that was attached to what he now remembered to be a building.

 _People.  I think people live in these things..._ he thought to himself as he tried to remember who he was, where he was, and then it occurred to him that he didn’t even know _what_ he was.  He looked down at himself and saw two feet, legs, arms, hands and...other things he remembered belonged to... _humans!_ His sudden mental connection surprised him.  _So I am a human, but I don’t think that I have always been a human._

He rose to his feet and found a window which cast his reflection back at him.  Squinting his eyes, he could make out the features on his face.  He had two eyes, a nose, a mouth, two ears; everything a person had.  He continued to stare into the window, until a loud shrieking sound rang out, causing him to stumble backward.

“DIPPER!!!!!” the voice shrieked again. 

Bill didn’t know what he should do.  An emotion he was unfamiliar with was coming over him.  It was fear.  He decided to just stay where he had landed, at the bottom of the porch steps, and not move.  He curled up into a fetal position on the ground, closed his eyes, and hoped for the best.

“Mabel!  What the hell is with all the yelling?!” an out of breath Dipper exclaimed, finally reaching his sister’s location from the other side of their home.  He found her standing at the base of the staircase, deep brown eyes as big as saucers, a wooden baseball bat in a death grip in her right hand.  “Whoa, you ok?  What happened?” his voice now laced with concern for his twin.

“There’s a _naked_ guy outside our window,” she whispered, barely audible.

“What?  You were yelling just a second ago and now I can’t even hear you!”  He was beginning to get exasperated.

“There’s a NAKED GUY outside our WINDOW!!” she cried, specifically enunciating each word slowly.

“That’s better... Wait, what?!”   Dipper was clearly confused.  “Like, there’s an actual _person_ outside the window?”

“Yes.”

“And he’s actually _naked_?!”

“Yes.”

“Uh...ok.”  He turned to look out the window, not seeing anyone standing there.  “Well, let’s just go out there and see what he wants so we can get on with our lives...”   When he turned back to Mabel, she was no longer there.  “Hey, Mabes?  Where’d you go?”

“I went to get one of Grunkle Stan’s robes,” she replied as she came back into the room.  “It might be a little awkward...you know.  I mean, don’t get me wrong, I like seeing the male figure just as much as the next gal, but this _is_ a total stranger and he could be hurt or something.”

“Sure.  Let’s just go see what his deal is.”

Dipper cautiously opened the door that led out onto the covered porch.  Mabel followed closely behind, still gripping the bat.  The robe was thrown over her shoulder.

Seeing him at the bottom of the stairs, they stopped on the edge of the porch.  He was still curled up on the ground, eyes screwed shut tightly.  The twins looked at each other, puzzled.

“Hello?” Dipper called out.

The man opened one eye.  He didn’t move any other muscle.

“Are you ok?” Mabel spoke this time.

The man opened his other eye.  He still didn’t move anything else.

“He looks scared to death, Dipper.  We need to cover him up and bring him inside.”  Mabel’s intense motherly instincts were taking over.  “Here,” she said as she handed Dipper the robe, “Wrap this around him and help him up.”

Dipper gave her that why-do-I-have-to-do-it look, but then realized he was a guy, and the stranger was a guy, and he shouldn’t be putting his sister in a predicament where she could potentially be attacked.  Upon taking the first step down the porch, Bill noticeably flinched and closed his eyes again.

“Hey, it’s ok,” Dipper said gently, trying to assure the frightened man.  “I’m not going to hurt you, I just want to cover you up and help you inside.”

The soothing voice calmed Bill and he opened his eyes again.  Dipper slowly took the final steps needed to close the distance between them and gently covered the man with the robe.

 _That’s warm...and soft_ , Bill thought as he allowed Dipper to help him up off the ground. 

“Can you walk?” Dipper inquired of the stranger.

 _“Yes.”_ Bill looked at him as he spoke his answer in his mind, not realizing that he couldn’t be heard.

Dipper, confused, asked again, “Are you able to walk?”

This time Bill nodded his head up and down once to show his response, still wondering why he couldn’t be heard.  They began to slowly walk up the steps and Mabel opened the door for them, shutting it when everyone was inside.  The siblings looked at each other, and then at the stranger they just brought into their home.

He looked like your run-of-the-mill, average Joe kinda guy; average build (yet toned) and height, very similar to Dipper.  The glaring exception was his hair.  It was a bright golden blond and very short on the sides and back, but the top was much longer and jet black at the roots.  It fell to one side, and now that he was upright, also fell over his eyes.

They led him into the living room where they showed him the couch to sit down on.  Bill kept the robe wrapped around him tightly, much like a security blanket.  He gazed around the room in wonder, taking in everything like it was the most wonderful thing in the world.

“Dipper, why don’t you sit with him and try to figure out who he is and I’ll go get something of yours for him to wear.”

“Yeah, alright,” he replied, as he waved her off, still staring at the stranger.  Then realization struck.  “Wait- What?!  Why my clothes?” he asked in surprise as he turned to glare at his sister.

“Well, he needs to wear _something_ , duh.  And he looks to be just your size.  I’ll just grab some of your old jeans and a t-shirt.  Oh- and some underwear...” she trailed off as she headed up the stairs to his room.

Dipper face-palmed. _Of course._   He turned back to the stranger sitting on the couch and sat down at the other end.

“So... What’s your name?”   He got no response, not even an acknowledgement to his speaking.  Bill’s eyes were still wandering all around the room.  Dipper snapped his fingers a few inches from his face to get his attention.  It definitely did the job.  Bill jumped and squeaked in fear, huddling away from Dipper as best he could, pulling his knees up to his chest and hugging himself tight.  _Gees, this guy’s jumpy._

Just then, Mabel returned with an armful of clothes.  She had brought a pair of black jeans, a white t-shirt, boxers, and socks.  She also brought a belt, just in case the jeans were too big.  This guy did seem pretty lean and toned compared to her brother...

“Dipper!  What did you do?!” she scolded when she caught sight of the stranger trembling on the couch.  “Did you scare him?” 

“I didn’t mean to!  The guy’s jumpy!” he replied in his defense.  “All I did was snap my fingers in front of his face ‘cause he wouldn’t answer me.”

She slowly went up to the man, kneeling on the floor in front of him.  She soothingly placed a hand on his knee, and said in her gentlest voice, “It’s ok, you can loosen up.  We don’t wanna hurt you.  Please forgive my dopey brother here, sometimes he forgets his manners.” 

Bill began to relax upon hearing Mabel’s sweet voice.  Doing so caused the robe he had wrapped around him to fall, revealing more than is usually acceptable in polite company.   Mabel immediately scrambled to her feet, averting her eyes.  “Too loose!  Too loose!” she exclaimed, tossing the clothes over to Dipper.  “Help him get dressed, will you?!”  She quickly exited the room.

“W-what?!  He’s a grown man...he can dress himself!” he called to her, but she was already gone.  He stood, laying the clothes out on the couch where he was just sitting.  “Just, put these on...I’ll be right back,” he directed to the stranger. 

Bill had just sat quietly during that whole exchange; watching and listening to the two people converse with each other.  He decided that they looked vaguely familiar, but didn’t know why.   He was wondering why they were moving their mouths as they spoke.  He opened and closed his own mouth a few times, but no sound came out of his the way it did when they opened theirs.

Then he remembered the things that were placed next to him.  He glanced over at the clothes, not really sure what to do with them, but they did look similar to what one of the humans had covering their body.  He tried the shirt first.  He picked it up, held it out in front of him, and turned it several times to see if he could line it up right.  Picturing how it looked on the human, he tried at first to step into the center hole.  That wasn’t right.  He turned it again and decided this time to put it down over his head.  It ended up just hanging around his neck.

He picked up the boxers, but didn’t remember seeing those on the human, so he tossed them aside.  The jeans looked familiar, though.  It had two long parts.  _One for each of these_ , he thought as he sat down and stuck his legs into the pants.  He pulled them up, not even needing to undo the zipper or button.  They were a bit big...and a bit rough... on certain... parts.  _This is not soft like that other thing was..._

Just as he was going to grab the socks, Dipper was coming around the corner.  “Hey there...” he said as gently as possible, so as to not scare the guy again and incur the wrath of his sister.  “Are you-“ he began, but then noticed how the stranger looked.  “Um, do you need help?” he asked.

Bill looked up at him, and then to the socks he had in his hand.  _“Yes.”_ He then held up the socks to Dipper, child-like shyness on his face.

 _Wow, this guy must’ve hit his head or something...can’t even dress himself, won’t talk.  This keeps up we’re going to have to turn him over to the authorities._   He grabbed the socks and slipped one on each foot.  Then he helped him get his arms through the right holes so the shirt would be on properly.

“There.  All dressed.”  At that moment, Mabel returned to the room and immediately noticed the boxers that were tossed aside. 

“Uuuhh..Dipper-“ she began, but started giggling too much.

“What?  What’s so funny?!”

She picked up the shorts and tossed them at him.  “Our friend here is going Commando.”

“What the fu-  Oh gawd...” he groaned as he pulled a hand down his face.  His sister was still giggling.  Bill just stood there smiling, but not sure why.  “You were supposed to put these on _before_ the pants,” he told the stranger, incredulously. 

“Looks like he’s gonna need that belt, too.  Your pants are kinda big on ‘im,” Mabel added.  “I’ll leave again...You help him get dressed properly,” she snickered on the way out of the room.

Dipper handed the man the boxers.  “Here, you need to put these on first, and then put the pants back on, ok?”  Bill had already begun to take off the jeans before Dipper had finished talking.  “Whoa!  At least let me turn around first!” he blushed.  The brunet quickly turned his head. 

Bill did as told, putting on the shorts first, then the pants.  _Well, that does feel better._

“You can come back now, Mabel.  He’s decent,” Dipper called to his sister. 

He didn’t want to be alone with this guy any longer than he had to.  Mabel was much more...diplomatic than him.  He felt that she should do most of the talking.  And there were _a lot_ of questions to ask this silent stranger.


	2. The Thankful Stranger

**The Thankful Stranger**

 

Mabel returned to the living room, a serving tray in hand with some glasses of milk and a plate of cookies.  Dipper looked at her as if to say, “ _Really?  Milk and cookies?  He’s not a toddler”_.  She just rolled her eyes at him.

She set the tray down in front of Bill on a small coffee table.  “Here.  I thought you might be hungry.  The cookies are gluten-free, nut-free, sugar-free, and... I think that’s all the allergens and bad stuff, anyway,” she said as she offered one to the stranger.  Bill reluctantly took it.

Dipper chuckled under his breath, “Yeah, that means they’re taste-free, too.”  His sister glared at him.  “I’m surprised we even have those in the house.  And since when do you categorize sugar as _bad_ stuff?  You eat it by the pound.”

“Well, I don’t know if he’s allergic to anything or sensitive to sugar.  I keep a bag of these for just such occasions...you never know.  And just because _I_ can eat a bunch of sugar and it not affect me, doesn’t mean everyone can,” she said with a smug look on her face.

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that, sis,” Dipper laughed.

Again, Bill sat there quietly, listening to the two people talking.  He was taking in all their words.  Each time he would hear a new one, it was locked into his mind.  For some reason, after hearing them spoken, it would be like he always knew them.  He wasn’t sure why he couldn’t think of most of them on his own, though.  And he still couldn’t figure out how he was supposed to say any words of his own out loud so the other people could hear him. 

When the siblings were done with their light-hearted bickering, they noticed the stranger was just sitting there staring at them, not even a bit interested in the cookie Mabel had given him.

“Are you not hungry?” Mabel asked.

Bill blinked at her, not sure what to do.  Mabel looked at his cookie and then back to him, motioning for him to move it up to his face.  Then she grabbed one for herself off the plate and moved it up to her own mouth.  She took a bite.

“See?” she said with her mouth full.  _Urgh.. Gawd, these are awful!_

Bill looked at the cookie, and then brought it to his mouth.  _I guess she wants me to do the same._   He put the whole thing in his mouth.  He tried chewing it up, but ended up mostly biting his tongue, and then he started choking on the smaller crumbs.  The lack of air he was able to intake startled him and he began to panic.  Then he coughed, which startled him even more, since he had no idea he was capable of making such a sound with his throat.

“Oh, god!  Dipper, he’s choking!  Do something!!” Mabel cried.  She was good at hospitality, but not at stressful situations.

Dipper got up and slapped Bill in the back a few times, which would have scared him had he not been so busy with the feelings of panic and distress.  He managed to spit most of the cookie out onto the floor.  The rest, just smaller crumbs, rested where they lay in his mouth...he was not sure what to do with them.  Mabel reached for a glass of milk, only to be stopped by her brother.

“I don’t think offering him the milk to wash it down would be a very good idea right now,” Dipper suggested.  “He doesn’t seem to be able to swallow...or know how.”  He stared at the stranger with a scrutinizing eye.  “I’m not sure this guy knows how to do _anything_.  We better just try to talk with him first, see if we can communicate somehow.  Then maybe we can figure out why he’s so helpless.”

“Yeah, good idea bro-bro.  I’ll go get some paper and something to write with.  Maybe he can draw or write or something.”  She darted off to the kitchen and quickly returned with a notepad and pencil.

Bill had managed to swallow down the few little crumbs in his mouth by the time the twins had decided this next plan of action.  It was a very weird sensation.  He wasn’t sure if it was good or bad yet, but decided he would be open to trying again sometime.  Maybe with a smaller bite next time.

He looked between the two humans, deciding he was safe with them.  They clearly weren’t trying to harm him and only wanted to help.  He was going to trust them fully.

Mabel sat down next to him on the couch.  She looked at him, seeing he had no more fear on his face.  She smiled and began to talk to him...slowly.  Kinda like how people tend to do when they’re talking to a foreigner who doesn’t speak your language, you know, because speaking slower will help.

“So, what is your name?”  She pointed at him, and then pointed at herself.  “Ma-bel,” she said each syllable agonizingly slowly.  “Mabel,” she repeated, having him focus on her mouth.

Bill pressed his lips together like she did for the “m”, but when he opened his mouth, there was no sound like she had.  He shook his head.  He couldn’t do it.

“Hmm...what are we missing here,” she asked herself. 

Then it occurred to Dipper that maybe this guy didn’t know how to make sounds with his throat.  He knelt in front of the stranger, and held his hand up against his own throat.  He took a deep breath, and let it out slowly while humming and touching is vocal chord area.  Pushing on it made the sound change a bit.  Then he did it again, this time opening his mouth and positioning his tongue and lips differently to make different sounds. 

“Sound,” Mabel said as her brother did this.

Bill sat up straighter, a knowing look in his eyes.  He knew what sound was, and he knew how to talk, he had just never done it with a mouth, tongue, and vocal chords before.  Realization struck him, or rather, came back to him.  He knew how people did this.  He just had to manipulate the air that crossed over his vocal chords, changing tone and pitch when needed to accommodate different sounds.

“Ma-bel!” he suddenly blurted out.

“Good job!  You did it!” Dipper said with excitement.

Bill smiled as a new feeling started to seep into his being.  He was overjoyed to get the praise from the male sibling.  Making him happy made Bill feel...good. 

“Nice job!” Mabel chimed in.  “Now, can you tell us your name?”  She motioned to herself again, and again said, “Mabel”.  Then she reached over and touched him on the chest and said, “You”.

He brought his lips together and stuttered, “B-b...” 

“Oooh!  It starts with a ‘B’?  Good.  What else!” she prodded. 

“B-biiilll.”  He drew it out longer than he meant to, but then said it again.  “Bill.”

The twins looked at each other, ecstatic they finally had a name to call their guest.

“Ok then, Bill...You know my sister’s name, and I’m Dipper.  So, where are you from?  How did you get here?” his voice laced with excitement at getting some information for the mystery that was this stranger.

“Slow down, Dip-dop, one at a time!  He’s just barely gotten his first name out!” Mabel chided.  “So, Bill, do you have a last name?” 

Bill looked at her strangely.  _Last name...last name..._ he thought as he tried to figure out if he did, in fact, have a last name. 

“Like us, our last name is Pines,” Dipper offered, trying to help.  “It’s our family name.” 

A flood of memories suddenly rushed over Bill.  _Pines...Pines...I know that name.  Dipper and Mabel Pines. Pine Tree and Shooting Star!_   He kept repeating it over and over in his head until he realized he, too, had a second name.  _That’s right...I’m Cipher.  Bill Cipher._ He drew in a deep breath, about to proudly announce his full name, but then he suddenly remembered something else.  

A scene flashed in his mind of these two humans, and two older humans who looked similar.  Then he saw a yellow triangle, and it was consumed by blue fire.  He suddenly let go of the breath he was holding and began trembling once more. 

The twins just sat there, bewildered, as they watched pure horror wash over Bill’s face that was beaming with joy just moments ago.

He looked at the two brunets.  _Th-they killed me.  But only because...I tried to kill them, first._   Awareness of who he once was (albeit a very limited awareness), and who these humans were, hit him hard.  He suddenly stood straight up, backing away slowly from Dipper and Mabel.

“W-wait!” Mabel gasped, surprised by this sudden action.  “What’s the matter?  We said we wouldn’t hurt you, remember?”

“Are you _afraid_ of us again?” Dipper calmly asked as he got to his feet, trying to slowly advance in Bill’s direction, but not frighten him.

“Yes.”  Bill said in barely a whisper.  “Y-you... ha-hate me.  You w-will... ki-kill me.”

Again the twins looked at each other, purely confused, and then turned back to Bill.  “W-why would you say that, Bill?” Dipper asked as he got closer to the trembling stranger.  Bill didn’t realize he was backing into a corner until he felt a wall up against his back.  He flinched and closed his eyes, not knowing what would come next.  “Hey, it’s ok,” Dipper said softly as he put a hand on Bill’s shoulder.  Normally, gentleness wasn’t his forte, but for some reason he felt that he needed to do this...wanted to do this. 

He shook his head, then covered his face with both hands.  “Never.  Never a-accept me.  N-never,” Bill mumbled.  

“Please, Bill.”  Mabel stayed put, not wanting to scare him any more than he already was.  “Whoever you are, we’re not going to kill you.  We would never-“   She couldn’t finish as tears began to well in the corners of her eyes.  She wondered what could have possibly happened to this poor man to have traumatized him this severely, to make him think that they would want to kill him. 

Bill opened his eyes again and saw how forlorn Mabel looked.  He also began to relax a little as Dipper backed away from him and crouched down on the floor into a less intimidating position.  “You can tell us.  We promise we won’t do anything bad to you.” 

Feeling he had no other choice, and hoping by some miracle these humans wouldn’t kill him on the spot, he let the name slip slowly from his lips. 

“Ci-pher.” 

Dipper and Mabel froze up at the name.  _The_ name _._   It had been nearly three years, but they would never forget what the being with _that_ name did to them; did to their family and friends.  Weirdmaggedon.  The demons.  The chaos.  The...almost death.  If it wasn’t for their Grunkles, Bill would have killed Mabel.  But they tricked him, and they obliterated him.  But now...now he’s back.  And he’s in _their_ living room.  And he’s...human. 

Both siblings shook from their memories at the same time.  Dipper immediately stood and went over to Mabel, instinctively standing in front of her in full protection mode.  He glared at the stranger, fists beginning to ball at his sides.  Mabel sensed her brother’s anger.

“I can’t believe how stupid I am...I’ve let this, this demon into our house!  I should have known better...” 

“Dipper,” Mabel whispered.  “I know this looks bad, and I’m fully aware of who Bill Cipher _was_ , but I’m not certain this is the same guy.”  She held on to her brother, not really out of fear for her own safety, but fear for Bill’s.

“Mabel!” Dipper yelled, not caring if he scared Bill anymore.  “He’s _Bill fucking Cipher_!!!”

“Dipper!  Language!” she scolded.

“Wha- _language_?!  We have, standing in our living room, only a few feet away from us at that, the demon who tried to _kill_ us three years ago!  And you’re concerned about my choice of words?!!”  Dipper was clearly upset.  “I don’t care what I say in front of him, ‘cause it’s going to be the last thing he ever hears!”

“No!!  We said we wouldn’t hurt him!  You promised, Dipper!” she exclaimed, starting to panic at her brother’s words. 

“Don’t, Mabel.  Don’t pull that guilt card on me!  This is a totally different situation and you know it.  We cannot, I repeat, CAN NOT have Bill Cipher running around in our world!  He will end up destroying us all!” 

“But- We don’t know that for sure!  Maybe he’s changed...or maybe...”  She couldn’t think of any other reason Bill Cipher would be back in their lives, if not to destroy them. 

“Yeah, right.  That’s just what he wants us to think, and then when we’ve turned our backs- bam!  He kills us and takes over the world!” 

Dipper’s mind was a jumbled mess.  He wasn’t sure where to start, what to do first.  He couldn’t leave the room, Cipher might run.  But he didn’t have anything to bind him with, let alone kill him.  Before he could devise any sort of plan, Bill began to speak. 

“I’m sorry,” he said, sheepishly. 

Dipper was about to interrupt when Mabel shushed him harshly.  “Dang it, Dipper, you’ve had your rant, now let him speak!”  Dipper rolled his eyes.  Nothing Bill Cipher had to say would mean anything to him.

“I don’t remember all that hap-happened, but I do know I hurt you.  I hurt m-many people.  I don’t want to hurt anyone again.  I’m sorry for who I...what I was.  I don’t think I am him any-anymore.  I have no want for what he wanted.”  He looked down at the floor.  “You can do what you want with me.  I pro-probably deserve it.” 

“Damn right you do!” Dipper said harshly.  “How are we supposed to believe you when you say you don’t remember everything, and that you’re sorry, and that you have no desire to do it again?!  How can we believe anything you say?” 

“You can’t,” Bill replied sadly. 

Mabel decided she needed to pull Dipper into the other room for a minute, much to her brother’s annoyance.  “Are you crazy, Ma-“ he was cut off by his sister’s hand over his mouth. 

“Stop.  He’s not going to do anything.  I believe him.  If he wanted to kill us, he’d have done it already.  Something tells me he is fully human, and that means fully vulnerable.  I mean, he doesn’t even know how to eat, for Pete’s sake!  And less than 30 minutes ago he couldn’t speak, either!”

Dipper wrestled his sister’s hand away from his face.  Considering what she said, he did feel a bit better about the situation.  She had a point.  They would have been dead already.  He did seem pretty helpless.  “I guess you have some valid points, there.  He could barely dress himself,” he smiled, thinking back on having to help him dress.  He sighed.  “Fine.  But what are we supposed to do with him?” 

Mabel was already pulling her brother back into the room with Bill.  “We’ll tell him the good news!” she beamed.  

Bill was still huddled in the corner.  He looked up at them when they returned, still fearful of how they would treat him.  Then he heard what Mabel said upon entering. 

“Good news?” he questioned.  “So, you will not kill me?”

“No, of course not.  We already promised we wouldn’t.  But no, that’s not the good news.  The good news is that you get to stay and live here with us!” she beamed.  She walked up to him and grabbed his hands, coaxing him out of the corner. 

“Wait- WHAT?!” Dipper squeaked.  “We didn’t agree to that?  When did we agree to that?!”

Mabel looked back at her brother and smiled big.  “We both agreed that he was pretty much helpless, right?  So that means we have to take care of him.  And where better to do that than from our own home?” she declared matter-of-factly. 

Dipper dragged a hand down his face.  “You do realize this is actually Grunkle Ford’s home, right?  What happens when he comes back?” 

At hearing that name, Bill stiffened up and his eyes grew wide again with fear. 

“It’s ok, Bill.  We won’t let him hurt you.  We’ll just tell him you’re one of Dipper’s friends from school...who has run away...because your family is bad...  Or something like that.  I don’t know, we’ll think of something!”  She threw her hands up and shrugged, not caring about details at the moment. 

“Ughh...Mabel.  Always the optimist.  You know, if this turns out badly, I’m blaming you.” 

Bill couldn’t help but smile, and suddenly, he felt the urge to grab a hold of Mabel and hug her.  The action caught her off guard, but she quickly realized what he wanted.  

“Thank you, Shooting Star.” 

“Aww, you’re welcome, Bill!”  She hugged him back.  She let go and turned to her brother, a telling look in her eye.  “Your turn!” she giggled. 

“Um...why?”  Dipper was not sure he wanted to hug Bill Cipher, for any reason.

“So he can thank you for helping him, duh!  And probably so he feels safe being near you again.  Plus,” she leaned closer to her brother so he could hear her whisper, “I think he likes you...”  She quickly darted out of the room. 

Dipper’s face immediately flushed with heat.  He turned to try to say something else to her, but she was already gone.  He awkwardly turned back to Bill. 

“Uh, yeah, so... let’s get this over with,” he sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. 

Bill smiled big at the boy, but was wary about approaching him.  Dipper walked up to him, holding his arms out, but only as a gesture of good faith...and because his sister was making him.  Bill wrapped his arms around Dipper, and for some reason, Dipper felt very at ease.  The embrace was warm and caring, almost...sincere.  

Bill nuzzled his face into Dipper’s fluffy, soft, brown hair and whispered, “Thank you, Pine Tree." 

At those words, Dipper quickly broke away, but not before hearing the tell-tale click of a camera shutter.

_Oh no..._


	3. The Adorable Stranger

**The Adorable Stranger**

 

“Ugh, Mabel!  Really?  I thought you outgrew that phase,” Dipper chastised as he chased his sister into the kitchen.

“There’s no outgrowing memories!” she sang back as she held her arm up high, keeping the smart phone out of her brother’s reach. 

At fifteen years of age, Mabel had reached her full height already, taking on a few solid inches over her brother.  Dipper kept telling her that boys just mature slower than girls, and that he still had a couple of years yet before he was done growing.  “ _Keep telling yourself that, bro-bro!_ ” she would always say to him. 

The smaller twin gave up trying to grab the incriminating piece of technology, slumping into one of the kitchen chairs in defeat.  Bill had sauntered in, unnoticed by the scuffling twins, and stood in the doorway, watching them with a smile on his face.  Mabel noticed him first. 

“So, Bill!” she began, “you are going to have to learn how to eat properly or else you’re gonna wither away and die!”  She had said that with a bit more enthusiasm than most people would have, considering the insinuation of impending death.  “Why don’t we start with something soft...something like,” she paused as she shuffled around in the fridge, “Pudding!”  

She emerged from the cold metal box with a single-serve portion of pudding, chocolate, of course.  Motioning for Bill to have a seat next to Dipper at the table, she fished around in a drawer for a spoon, peeled the lid off of the pudding cup, and placed both down in front of him. 

“You’re going to want to take it slow...kinda ease into the feeling of having something go down your throat,” Dipper suggested.  “Or else you may start to choke again.”

Bill’s face flashed a look of fear as he recalled what just happened in the other room with the cookie.  Mabel noticed immediately and jumped in to ease his concern. 

“It’s alright, just take a tiny bit at first.  It won’t be enough to get caught, and we’re here to save you if anything goes wrong!”  

Dipper wasn’t sure how that statement could have helped ease Bill’s worries of choking to death, but it was the thought that counted. 

Bill looked down at the spoon on the table, _Not sure what I’m supposed to do with that_ , and then at the strange brown substance in the little plastic cup.   _Looks like...mud?_  

Seeing that Bill wasn’t making a move to try and feed himself, Dipper took the initiative and grabbed the spoon for him, scooping up a tiny portion onto it.

“Open up,” he ordered gently.  He noticed Bill had pursed his lips, shaking his head ever so slightly.  “Come on, it’s not gonna hurt you,” Dipper prodded.  “Watch, I’ll take a bite first.”

He scooped up a little bit more pudding from the cup, (you know, enough to make it worth his while, because who can take just a tiny bite of such deliciously smooth and chocolaty goodness), and took it into his mouth, cleaning the spoon as he pressed his lips against it and slowly pulled it back out.

“See?  Easy as that.”  He looked back at Bill who was staring at him, wide-eyed in superfluous fascination.  Dipper could feel heat rising in his cheeks as he felt the weight of Bill’s stare burrowing into him.  “What?” he asked, almost defensively. 

Mabel chuckled as she saw the exchange and couldn’t help but comment.  “Wow, Dipper, that was a rather...sensual way to eat pudding,” she laughed.  “I might have to pull out my phone again, you are on fire today!” 

“Shut up, Mabel!” he blushed as he thought about how he had eaten the bite of pudding.  Maybe it could have been construed that way, but only Mabel would think so.  “Gees, I’m just trying to be helpful, getting every bit off the spoon before giving it back to him.”

Mabel’s face grew red as she tried to hold back more laughter.  “Is that what you were doing?” she teased.  “Why would you even assume that he would want to use the same spoon?”

“I didn’t!  I mean...it’s just Bill, I- I didn’t think he’d care!” the male twin defended.  Kind of a lack-luster excuse is all it came out as.  “Ugh!  Gees, you are impossible sometimes, you know that?!  Just...get him another spoon, will you?”

Before she could get up and fish out another spoon, Bill had already grabbed the one out of Dipper’s hand, using it to scoop up a small portion of the brown stuff.

“Too late!” Mabel giggled.

He looked it over and then, remembering how Dipper did it, placed it in his mouth, pressing his lips fully around the spoon, and pulling it slowly back out.  Seeing that the spoon was clean, just like Dipper showed him, he beamed brightly, feeling a sense of pride in his new ability.

“Teehee!” the female twin squeaked.  “Indirect kissing!”  She said it more to herself than to anyone in particular, but it was still loud enough for Dipper to hear, and he shot daggers at her with a maddening glare. 

“You are so immature!” he whisper-yelled at her.  She just ignored him, loving how she can get her brother riled up so easily.

They turned their attention back to Bill.  He was busy squishing the sweet substance around in his mouth, using his tongue to push it onto the roof of his mouth, and sort-of chewing on it, though he couldn’t quite figure out why he couldn’t feel it between his teeth.  Instinctively, he moved it to the back of his throat and swallowed it down. _Well, that was easy, why couldn’t I do this before?_   He blinked with curiosity a couple of times before smiling big, looking like a proud kindergartner who had learned to count to ten.

“I did it!” he exclaimed as he dunked the spoon back into the cup and dug out a much larger portion.

“Yes!  Yes, you did,” Mabel declared proudly.  “But go easy, you don’t want to over do it,” she added. 

Bill put the spoon up to his mouth again, this time only partially inserting it into his mouth before biting down and dragging it back out.  Doing so caused a bit of the pudding to stick to the top of his lip.  After swallowing down that bite, Bill could feel the sensation of something on his skin.  It felt a bit... _cold?_   Yeah, that seemed right, cold... _and also wet_ , he concluded.

Not sure of how to remedy that problem, he set the spoon down in the cup (causing it to fall over due to the weight of the spoon and the flimsiness of the cup, which startled him momentarily, but the unpleasant sensation on his lip overpowered that worry, so he just let it go), and then proceeded to seek out the cause of the cold and wet feeling on his upper lip. 

The twins watched in amusement as Bill tried to put his lower lip above the other, then scrunched his face in all manners of silly expressions, all in a desperate attempt to get at that nuisance he was feeling.  Finally, after about half a minute of futile effort, he got the brilliant idea of using that long, rather flexible appendage in his mouth and stuck it out, curling it over his upper lip, and finally coming in contact with the cold and wet substance that annoyed him so.  _Huh...it was just that pudding stuff that was stuck on me_ , he realized.  Satisfied, he eagerly snatched up the spoon, setting the cup upright before plunging it in for another scoop.

Mabel giggled as she nudged Dipper with her elbow, her other arm resting under the table in her lap.  “He missed some, Dip...why don’t you help him out there?”  She wiggled her eyebrows at him.

“Mabel!  Will you knock it off!  And why don’t _you_ do it?  You’re the one being all motherly.” 

“You’re closer!” she replied, triumphantly.  Dipper just rolled his eyes in response. 

He looked around for a napkin, or anything else he could use to clean up Bill’s face, however, after finding nothing in his vicinity, he turned back to him.  Bill had looked up from his chocolate treat when the twins had started arguing again.  Awkwardly, Dipper began to use his finger, wiping Bill’s mess off his lip.  After not getting it all the first time, due to Bill’s surprise at the sudden contact causing him to flinch a bit, Dipper switched to a clean finger, and held his face gingerly with the other hand. 

“Hold still, I’m just cleaning up your face,” Dipper explained as he gently wiped away the chocolate now smeared into the corner of Bill’s mouth.  And no sooner had he finished saying that, did he hear that loathsome click again.  

He whipped around to see a giggling Mabel, smart phone in hand once again.  She had been hiding it under the table from him, hoping for another adorable moment to capture for posterity.  Instead of fuming at her, he decided to take a different approach.

“Laugh it up, Mabes,” he declared through a coy smile, wiping his sticky fingers on his pants.  He glared at her with one of those ‘payback is worse’ type of looks.

“Aw, you’re no fun, bro.  It’s just an innocent picture, is it not?” she queried of him, knowing it was a loaded question, and loving the response she got. 

“Yes, it is...of course it is, but, well... if you go plastering those pictures all over social media it’s gonna paint me as being, sort of, you know...uh,” he tried to dance around the word, but realized he was going to have to say it if he wanted her to take him seriously, “...gay.” 

“Well, never pegged you as the homophobic type, Dipping Sauce, but, if that’s how you’re gonna be-” she teased, knowing full well her brother was not homophobic.

“Mabel!” he exclaimed in a new level of defensiveness, “You know that’s not true!  I have no such fear for anyone’s sexuality!  I just... I know I’m not, well, _that_ , and I don’t want you insinuating to the world that I am.  That’s all,” he finished, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

“Alright then, I’ll just keep these little tidbits to myself,” she stated as she began to leave the kitchen, phone safely tucked away in her pocket.  “...For now,” she added under her breath. 

Dipper slouched down into his chair, exhausted by the antics of his sister, not to mention the whole ‘Bill is back in our lives’ thing that was thrown on him less than an hour ago.  Bill ignored him as he finished the pudding cup.  Having scraped out as much as he could, he tossed the spoon aside and began to lick the insides clean.  Needless to say he ended up getting a lot more than just a small smudge of chocolate on his face. 

Dipper sighed as he got up to find a paper towel this time.  Snatching one from a roll under the sink, he got it slightly damp under the faucet and gave it to Bill to clean himself up.  He was not going to give Mabel any more photo-ops, if he could help it.  He set the towel down on the table in front of the blond who just eyed it, not really sure what he was supposed to be doing with it. 

“Wipe your face with it, Bill,” he said dryly as he sat down again.  _I have a bad feeling I’m gonna be stuck teaching BILL, of all people, er, demons, er...whatever! how to do nearly everything as a human...and that includes.....oh no._

As Bill happily wiped the damp paper towel over his face, Dipper’s own face flushed over with a deep red that would shame any rose at the direction his thoughts were going.  He just realized, being that he’s male, and Bill’s male, that HE would be the one charged with the unavoidable task of... how to put this politely... showing Bill how to use the bathroom.  _Not to mention, how to use the shower and properly bathe himself...and wash his hair...and_ (he glanced over at Bill’s face again, not remembering the extent of facial hair he had)... _huh, doesn’t seem to have any at the moment, but still, I’m sure Mabel will have me go over shaving with him at some point..._  

The sound of Bill’s voice drew the brunet out of his thoughts. “Did I get it all, Pine Tree?” he asked with all the guarded hope of a child trying to please his father. 

“Yeah, you got most of it.  Here, let me get the rest.”  Dipper grabbed the towel and finished getting the spots he had missed, keeping a cautious eye out for any signs of his sister and her dang phone. 

“Why is your face such a dark shade of red, Pine Tree?” Bill asked with sincere curiosity.  He wondered to himself if his own skin was able to change colors, too. 

Dipper face palmed, trying not to get redder than he already was, if that was even possible.  “Um, i-it’s just something the body does when it gets...o-over heated. Yeah.  Perfectly normal.”  

He quickly got up and threw away the paper towel.  When he returned to within range of Bill, the blond suddenly stood up and reached out with both hands to touch each of Dipper’s cheeks.  Not really ready to react to the swiftness of Bill’s action, Dipper just stood there, hoping to God that Mabel wouldn’t walk in at that second. 

Bill’s eyes grew wide at the warm sensation seeping into his own skin at his hands.  “Wooow,” he said in amazement, drawing out the word longer than he probably needed to.  “You really ARE hot!" 

At that same moment, Mabel did, indeed, show up to witness the absolutely adorable invasion of Dipper’s personal space, as well as the overtly candid announcement Bill just made.  And, of course, she was ready for whatever she may find with her trusty device of torture with which to collect more precious ‘memories’.  Since the guys were both standing in profile to her, she got the perfect shot of Bill’s hands caressing Dipper’s flushed face.  _Priceless!_   She bubbled over with pure giddiness.

“Oh my gawd... you two are going to be the death of me!” the poor, tortured brunet cried. 

He pushed (a bit less than gently, and with more force than necessary) away from the now human demon, not even bothering to give his sister the usual glare as he moped his way into the living room, plopped down on the couch, and flicked on the TV.  Mabel remained with Bill in the kitchen a few moments longer, showing off her handiwork to him.  Bill smiled at the photos, internally marveling at how such a thing could capture an instance of time and preserve it forever.  But something in the way Dipper had exited the room left him feeling...a bit troubled.

“So, whatcha wanna do now, Bill?” she asked, not really confident she’d get a direct answer _.  Seeing as this IS his first day being human and he probably doesn’t know a whole heckuvalota things he CAN do, I guess I better make a suggestion..._ “How’s about we just go in there with Dipper and see what he’s doing, ‘k?”

“Sure.  Whatever you think is best, Shooting Star,” he shrugged as he slowly followed her lead out of the kitchen.  “A-are you sure he wants me in there with him?  He looked mad when he left...”   His voice trailed off with all the somberness of a puppy who had just been scolded.

“Oh, him?  Pffft...don’t worry about him.  He’s fine.  He just needs to learn how to face his feelings.  He’s easily flustered, but darn it if you’re not bringing out the best of it today!” she laughed as she grabbed his arm and gently led him out of the kitchen.

“Ok, Shooting Star.  If you say so.”

The two wandered into the living room to see Dipper sinking into the couch, scowling as he leaned haphazardly over the arm.  He didn’t even glance their way as they joined him, Mabel taking the extreme opposite end in order to give Bill no other option but to sit between them. 

Without warning, Dipper suddenly flew off the couch and hurried up the stairs to his bedroom before the other two even realized what was happening.  The action was totally unexpected by Mabel, who by now had become quite proficient at predicting her brother’s behavior.  She knew she had pushed him a little too far, but he usually got over it with far less drama than he was currently showing. 

A seriously concerned Bill spoke up first.  “Did I do something wrong, Shooting Star?”  The poor guy seriously looked to be on the verge of tears. 

Mabel didn’t know whether to be more upset with Dipper for behaving in a manner that would make Bill feel this way, or with herself for her own annoying behavior, which pushed Dipper into behaving in such a way that would make Bill feel this way in the first place. 

“Aw, it’s ok, Bill...you didn’t do anything.  He’s upset with me.  I guess I should go talk to him,” she sighed as she got up off the couch and began to leave.  “Here, you can watch whatever you want,” she said as she reached out to hand him the TV remote. 

Suddenly remembering that he probably had no idea how to work it, she pulled her arm back and changed the channel to a kid’s network, thinking that something animated might keep his attention long enough for her to talk her brother back downstairs.  She then tossed the remote on the couch next to him. 

“Just, stay put and don’t get into anything, ok?” she said pleasantly as she finally left the room.

When she got to the top of the stairs, she saw their bedroom door closed tight, signaling that her brother did not want to be bothered, but, being Mabel, she chose to ignore it, knowing that fixing the situation was far more important than worrying about breaking one of their unspoken sibling rules.  At least she had the decency to knock first, though.

Dipper rolled over to face the wall as soon as he heard the first of the three gentle taps on the closed door.  He didn’t even bother to voice his disapproval of her entering, knowing full well that she would just ignore him, anyways.  His sister had always been hopelessly predictable.

“Dipper,” she began, slowly and sincerely, “I am so sorry for getting you so upset.  And I know you don’t even want me here right now, but... well, your behavior has really gotten Bill all upset now, like he’s almost ready to cry because he thinks you hate him... and I know that it’s really all _my_ fault because I pushed you too far and so, really, I guess everyone should point all the blame at me for... well, for doing what I do best, I suppose.”

She slumped down onto the side of her own bed, suddenly quite interested in the wood grain in the flooring.  Dipper moved to sit up onto the side of his bed, but she didn’t look up at him, too busy worrying about what might come out of his mouth...what she deserved to hear.  But what he had to say was not what she expected. 

“It’s ok, Mabel.  It’s not your fault.  I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately.  I’ve been way over-sensitive about a lot of things, and this...this whole thing with Bill here all of a sudden, and you teasing me, it did push me past my comfort zone, but I didn’t have to react that way.  I shouldn’t have gotten so mad and stormed out.”

“But-”   Mabel began to protest her brother’s desire to own all the blame, but Dipper cut her off.

“No, Mabel, let me finish.  I know you well enough that the things you do shouldn’t bother me.  What you do best is what I love about you.  It’s what everybody loves about you.  You doing anything different than being yourself would...well, it would just be a crime, that’s what it would be.” 

He looked over at his sister, who had looked up from the floor to look over at him, as well.  “Thanks, Dipper,” she smiled.

Dipper rose to his feet and stood in front of the other, offering his hand to help her up.  She accepted it and got to her feet, also.

“Awkward sibling hug?” she asked, sheepishly. 

“Sincere sibling hug,” he replied, embracing his sister warmly. 

“Pat, pat!” they said in unison as they released each other.

“We better get back downstairs and check on Bill,” Mabel smiled as she turned to leave their room. 

“Yeah, right behind you, sis.” 

They returned to the living room to find Bill frozen in the same spot Mabel had left him on the couch.  He was clearly fascinated with the bright, colorful moving pictures that were flashing on the large rectangle in front of him.  Stan had replaced his old TV a couple of years back with a 60 inch flat screen, making any cartoon that was watched on it larger than life to even the most avid animation enthusiast.  To Bill, it was down right other-worldly.

Dipper reclaimed his seat to the left of the entranced blond, but was totally unnoticed in doing so.  Mabel moved to stand in Bill’s line of sight, wondering if she could get his attention away from the TV in the process, but failed.  Instead, he craned his neck to look around her, not wanting to miss even one second of the show he was locked on.  The female twin just giggled and took her seat on the other side of Bill.  Just as she did, the happy colors and joyful sounds of the animated show stopped and a dull, live-action commercial took its place. 

Conveniently, this snapped the blond out of his fixation, causing him to discover that there were now two people sitting on either side of him.  His face lit up upon seeing the twins, but especially when he looked over to Dipper, seeing a warm, smiling face looking back at him. 

“Whatcha doin’, Bill?” Dipper asked casually. 

“He-hey, Pine Tree!  You’re back!” he exclaimed in excitement.  His voice lowered, however, as he remembered why the brunet left in the first place.  “Um, does this mean you’re not mad at me and Shooting Star anymore?” he asked with anticipation. 

“Look, Bill...I was never mad at you, and shouldn’t have been mad at Mabel...I’m sorry if you were upset over my bad behavior.  I’m gonna work on managing my emotions better, ok?” he reassured. 

“O-ok...thanks, Pine Tree.  I didn’t like the feeling I got when I thought you were mad at me...I hope I never feel it again.  What is that feeling, anyway?” he asked, somberly.

“Oh, uh...sadness?  Rejection?  Both of those?  There are hundreds of emotions humans can experience, Bill,” he tried to explain. 

“Hundreds?!  And do I have to learn how to manage them all...like you?”  He looked positively worried now. 

Dipper chuckled at his innocent ignorance.  “Well, yeah...managing them just means handling them appropriately, and knowing how to control them.”  Bill just looked at him, not really understanding what he just heard.  Dipper just smiled and said, “You’ll learn over time, don’t worry about it.  So what were you just watching on the TV?”  He knew what it was, but felt the need to change the subject.  Bill was more than eager to acquiesce. 

“Oh!  Yes!  It’s a fascinating story about this happy yellow square... who lives in a piece of fruit of all things! ...and his two neighbors, a pink star-shaped creature and a greenish-blue creature with lots of legs and a really big nose.  The square seems to be really good friends with the star, and he really likes the other guy, but that guy doesn’t seem to like him back.  In fact, he gets mad at the happy yellow guy a lot.”

The twins looked at each other, smiling at the simplistic description of the popular cartoon. 

“Ooo! And the pink star lives under a rock, but it doesn’t squish him!  It can slam down on top of him and he doesn’t get hurt!  And the guy with all the legs lives in a statue-like thing in between the other two, and he’s always leaning out his window yelling at them to be quiet.  But he’s always making his own loud and annoying sounds with a black stick with holes in it...and the other two don’t seem to mind.” 

When the commercials finally ended and the show came back on, Bill was quick to turn back to the TV, sitting up attentively.  “Shush!  It’s back on!” he exclaimed in childish glee, barely able to contain his excitement. 

The irony of being shushed when they weren’t even speaking was not lost on Dipper.  Still, Dipper complied and relaxed into the arm of the couch, unable to take his eyes off the adorable guy seated on the couch next to him.  He had a good feeling that having Bill around might not be such a bad thing, after all.


	4. The Special Stranger

**The Special Stranger**

Bill had finally had his fill of the animated TV show after about two straight hours.  Even before the current episode had ended, he unexpectedly popped up off the couch, startling the twins who were both only moments away from having fallen completely asleep.  They could only tolerate so much of the yellow square’s high-pitched voice and overtly innocent shenanigans before becoming overwhelmingly bored, and both had found themselves slumped over their respective ends of the couch.  The sudden movement of the cushions being vacated by the bubbly guy dragged them from their sleepy state, and both looked over to see Bill stretching his limbs.

“Hey, you done watching TV now, Bill?” Mabel queried through a half-yawn. 

“Yeah.  My arms and legs were getting sore from sitting in one spot so long.  This kinda hurts, too,” he added as he reached around and rubbed his hands over his backside.

“Well, that’ll happen after sitting in one position for too long,” Dipper said, rubbing his own sore hip that had been digging into the hard frame of the couch.  “So, other than that, how’re you feeling?  Are you hungry?  Tired?”

Bill pondered that for a moment before answering, “I feel fine.  Maybe a bit warm, though?  And my mouth is kinda dry..."

“Lemme get you some water,” Dipper casually offered.

Dipper scurried to the kitchen to grab a glass of water for Bill, smiling at the mental image of the blond needing a sippy cup as a toddler would.  He mentally scolded himself for that, stumbling into his next thought.  _Of course he’ll be able to drink without using a sippy cup... It’s not like he was born yesterday._   The casual use of the common idiom held much more significance where Bill was concerned, the irony of which figuratively smacked Dipper clean in the face as soon as he thought it and he burst into a fit of laughter.  Pulling himself back together, he looked at the glass again and thought of the blond.  He figured a straw would do. 

“Here ya go,” Dipper said cheerfully as he handed the glass to Bill. 

Bill looked quizzically at the plastic tube in his water, but decided to ignore it and began to drink from the glass like anyone normally would.  Dipper smiled at this but decided not to say anything.  He looked over at his sister, who was getting off the couch and ready to leave the room.  She halted before fully exiting. 

“Bill mentioned he was getting kinda warm, and it is supposed to be quite hot by midday, so I’m gonna go turn the fans on now.” 

It was the middle of summer, and the hot and humid weather of the Pacific Northwest could be quite unforgiving.  They had no air conditioning, so they usually just made do with cool clothes, cold drinks, and strategically placed fans to keep the air circulating. 

Mabel scurried out of the living room, leaving Dipper to find something else to talk about with Bill.  Not that he minded, he felt perfectly comfortable around the now human demon.  Well, pretty comfortable.  Maybe only somewhat comfortable. 

Thoughts of what the demon had done only three years prior suddenly flooded his mind again, as if to say ‘How dare you feel any amount of comfort in the presence of a being that nearly ended your entire world!’ 

Bill seemed to sense Dipper’s internal conflict and reached over to place a hand on the brunet’s shoulder.  “Pine Tree?” he asked, quietly trying to get the other’s attention. 

The close and sudden contact made Dipper jump and take a step back.  When he looked at Bill, the blond caught a fleeting sense of fear in the deep brown eyes. 

“Oh!  Sorry, Bill, I was...uh, lost in thought, I guess.”  Dipper nervously rubbed the back of his neck.  “Did you need something?  More water?” 

Bill looked down at his now empty glass.  “Um, no?”  It came out sounding like a question, even though he knew for certain that he didn’t want more.  “Yes...I mean-“ he stopped abruptly, seemingly trying to organize his thoughts.  “No, I don’t need any more water, thanks,” he said as he handed the empty glass to Dipper, “but yes, there is something I need.”  He looked down at the floor before continuing.  “I need to know things.” 

Dipper smiled.  “Well, yeah, we’re gonna help you to learn the things you need to live and-“ 

Bill’s face took on a somber look.  “No, I mean I need to know things like who I am, who I used to be, what my purpose is now.  Those kinds of things.  I don’t even know why I’m here, or how I came to be here.”  

“Oh.  Well, now you’re going all existential on me,” Dipper quipped, trying to lighten the air.  “People have been asking those questions forever, and we still don’t know the answers!  But, seriously, I can understand you want to know these things, Bill, and Mabel and I can help you out a little, but we don’t know many of those answers.  We can tell you who you were, well, what we knew, anyway.  But we have no idea why or how you came back.  As for who you are now, well, that one’s entirely up to you.”  

Mabel popped back into the room, seeing the boys were in the middle of a serious conversation.  “What’d I miss?!” 

“Not much.  Bill just has a lot of questions about himself, most of which we can’t answer for him,” Dipper replied. 

“Oh, well Bill’s an extremely intelligent being, I’m sure he’ll figure it out!” 

Ah, Mabel.  Forever the optimist.  

For the rest of their day, the twins decided to stay inside, giving Bill a thorough tour of the shack, showing him the rooms he could and could not go in.  It was mostly a day filled with Bill asking questions about every little thing and the twins answering him with what it was and what it was for.  Although it was a good time spent with their new house guest, especially considering whom that person was, Dipper couldn’t help but continuously run his mind about discussing their past with him.  

The thought of having to tell him what he had done to them over the course of that summer was a bit depressing.  Bill had already told them he remembered somewhat about trying to hurt them, but what would he do if he knew what he truly was?  Since he had shown up that morning, he was clearly unaware of his past, and even more unaware of what he used to be.  Dipper couldn’t help but worry about what Bill would do with that knowledge.  He finally decided that worrying about it now wouldn’t do him any good, and that he needed to enjoy the day.  He could talk privately with Mabel about it later, hopefully when Bill was asleep.

_______________________________________________________________________

Around six o’clock that evening, after a full day of learning how to eat and drink properly, watching plenty of cartoons, and trying to figure out if Bill could remember more about himself on his own, (he still couldn’t remember much besides trying to hurt the Pines family, and the fact that he used to be a yellow triangle with a dapper fashion sense), Dipper decided it was a good idea that they work out sleeping arrangements before Bill got too sleepy and needed to go to bed for the night.  They weren’t sure how much sleep he had gotten the previous night, or exactly what time he had come into existence, for that matter, so they thought it better to be prepared for whatever sleep patterns he was already used to.  

“So where’s he gonna crash tonight, Dippin’ Dots?” Mabel so eloquently questioned.  

She would just as soon turn their bedroom into one giant blanket fort, shoving mattresses together on the floor and having one big slumber party, which would have been fine for a night or two, but Dipper needed to come up with a long term solution.  Preferably one that didn’t involve the three of them cozying up together on the floor of their room.

“Hmm... ‘m not sure.”  Dipper absentmindedly grabbed a pen and began chewing on it, as per usual when faced with an epic quandary that needed some heavy thinking. 

The shack was certainly large enough to accommodate one extra person, but the problem wasn’t space.   _He can’t stay down here..._ Dipper didn’t want Bill to be alone on the main floor of the house, but at the same time, there were no extra rooms in the attic, either. The twins already shared a room, leaving minimal space to add another sleeping area up there.  All the rooms downstairs were already being used- Stan’s bedroom was full of his stuff, the smaller office room was full of, well, office stuff (like the safe and the old copy machine), and Ford’s bedroom was full of Ford’s stuff.  There was no way Dipper was going to rearrange any of those rooms and face the wrath of his great uncles in doing so.  They were very protective of their spaces, and the twins stayed out of their rooms as much as possible. 

“Well, I guess we can just set up a spot on the floor in our room tonight until we can figure out a more permanent set-up.”  He glanced over at his sister to catch the sour look she had just given him. 

“Dipper, he’s our guest.  We can’t expect him to sleep on the floor!” Mabel huffed, as if highly offended by her brother’s suggestion. 

“Ok, then...he can have _your_ bed, and _you_ can sleep on the floor,” Dipper replied smugly.

“What?!  How about _you_ give up-” she began, but was cut off by the blond who felt the need to step in. 

“Wait.  It’s alright, I don’t mind sleeping on the floor.  I slept on the ground last night, after all.”  Memories of last night came back to him and then he stated, “I could sleep on that couch on the porch!  That was quite nice,” he smiled, proud of himself for thinking of a solution to their small dilemma. 

Mabel rolled her eyes and laughed out loud.  “No way, you’re not sleeping outside, Bill!”

“Then the floor is fine.  Really.  It’s ok with me,” the blond tried to reassure the older twin.  Mabel made a face as if to say ‘I’m still not ok with this’ but gave up quickly as she realized she was outnumbered by the two boys. 

“Fine,” she huffed, “but don’t come cryin’ to me when you wake up in the middle of the night with a sore back.” 

Mabel was nothing if not an overly generous hostess, and the thought of a guest sleeping on the floor made her physically hurt; like, made her chest ache and her head throb.  She tried to tell herself that this was Bill Cipher, the demon who almost killed her with the snap of his fingers, so she wouldn’t feel as bad about it.  But when she looked over at him... his cute, innocent face, his perfectly human features... she only felt worse for him.  _First night as a human, first time sleeping in a house, and this is what he has to sleep on,_ she pouted to herself. 

Bill just gave her a perplexed look, then turned to see what Dipper was doing.  The younger twin had gone into the hallway to retrieve some blankets and pillows from the linen closet.  He returned with an armful that he couldn’t see over the top of and nearly ran into the blond, had Mabel not yanked him out of the way at the last second.  He let the pile fall unceremoniously onto the floor. 

“Here.  Mabel’s good at making up beds and stuff like that, so I’ll let her do that...,” Mabel rolled her eyes at her brother to which he continued, “and I’m going to get you some pajamas and show you how to work the shower.  Unless you want to do that, Mabes...” he smiled and raised an eyebrow at her reddening face. 

“Uh, no.  That’s ok, I’ll get the bed ready,” she laughed, lightening up a bit at her brother’s words.  _Hmm...Bro-bro and Bill in the bathroom.  I think I feel a Kodak moment coming._ Her thoughts left a devious smile on her face, one that had Dipper suddenly regretting ever mentioning that he would be showing their guest how to use the shower. 

Dipper quickly grabbed some of his extra pajama pants and a fresh pair of boxers out of his dresser and grabbed Bill’s arm, leading him to the bathroom downstairs. 

“Uh, what are we doing, Pine Tree?” Bill asked as he was being pulled down the stairs swiftly, the unfortunate benefactor of Dipper’s haste to get done with what he had to do before Mabel finished with her task and came down to inevitably capture more priceless memories.  “And why are we in such a hurry?” 

“Well, I want to show you how to use the shower before Mabel can come down here and, well, you know... get in the way.”

“Why would she be in the way?  She seems really helpful-“ 

“Trust me.  She won’t be helpful in a situation like this.  Now, pay attention so you can do this yourself.” 

Dipper proceeded to lead Bill into the bathroom, dropping the bundle of clean clothes and his towel on the hall table just outside the door before showing him how to turn the water on, get it to the proper temperature, and use the soap and shampoo accordingly.  Things were going rather smoothly, and Dipper was satisfied that he had completely and thoroughly explained everything he needed.  _Thank goodness...that was rather quick._  

“So, you think you can handle it from here?” he asked, but when he turned to face him, he was met with a face filled with pure horror.  The poor demon-turned-human was hopping from foot to foot and looked about to cry.  “Bill?  What’s wrong?!” 

“I think...s-something...is wrong...my...my body...going to...burst!” he choked out, wrapping his arms around his lower abdomen. 

“Oh gosh!  I-I’m sorry, Bill...ugh.”  Realization struck, and Dipper quickly turned off the water, mentally scolding himself for having not thought to show Bill how to take care of this earlier.  “You’re not going to explode,” he tried to reassure the blond, “but you will need to take care of that, um, problem, right now.”  All Dipper could think about was how this was going to take a bit of careful explaining, but in his current condition, Bill appeared to not have the luxury of a timely lesson.  He quickly lifted the lid of the toilet.  “Just, remove all your clothing, sit on here just like you would a chair, and...um...well, your body will know what to do.”  He mentally cringed at having to say that. 

Bill didn’t need to be told twice.  He’d nearly had everything off before Dipper even made it to the door.  “O-oh!  Kay, I’m just gonna wait out here,” he called from the hallway.  He slammed the door shut quickly, not looking back. 

After a few minutes, Dipper realized he never got the chance to explain... well, the delicate art of cleaning one’s self after... well, you know.  He rubbed his hands down his face, took a deep breath, then opened his mouth to begin what he felt had to be the most awkward conversation he would ever have.  Before he could get one word out, however, Bill beat him to it. 

“Pine Tree!” he called out.  “I think I’m done, because nothing more is com-“ 

“Ok!  Yes!  N-no need to explain...I get it!  You’re done then, ok...um.”  _Wow, this is not something I thought I’d ever have to explain to another human being..._   “So, do you see that roll of white stuff next to you?” 

“Yes.” 

“Ok, t-take some of that and, uh, use it to clean... clean yourself off i-in...uh, the area from which... justcleananyareawherestuffmayhavecomeoutofyou!”  He face palmed, hoping that hadn’t come out too fast to where Bill wasn’t able to understand him.  

When he didn’t hear any kind of questioning from the blond, he was satisfied that the other had gotten the message and was taking care of himself properly.  _Aw, man..._   He scrunched up his face and pinched the bridge of his nose as another thought came to him.  

“Hey, I forgot to mention- don’t use too much of that white stuff or you’ll clog up the toilet!”  Again, silence answered him, and he hoped beyond hope that Bill was ok in there.  He really didn’t want to have to go in there and help him in any way, shape, or form.   “When you’re all done, push down on that little silver handle to flush it.  Then you can just get straight into the shower...ok?” 

“Ok.” 

“Ok, do you need anything else?  Are you fine on your own now?”

“Yes, I think I can do this.” 

Dipper then heard the water of the shower start to fall and the curtain pulled closed.  He sighed in relief that things went more smoothly than they could have, and turned to head over to the living room to wait for Bill to be done.  After about ten minutes, he thought he heard his nickname being called, so he got up and went back over to the hallway. 

“Bill?  Were you calling me?  Everything ok?” 

“Yes.” 

... 

“O-kay...  What is it that you need, then?” he prodded as the blond wasn’t exactly being forthcoming with what it was he had called him about. 

“Do I just stand here and wait until the wetness goes away?  Because that seems like it might take a while.  Plus, I thought you wanted me to change into different clothes.” 

“Um, no...use the towel to dry yourself off, silly,” Dipper giggled.  “And, yes, please put on the clean stuff I gave you.”  Glancing to his right, he suddenly noticed the hall table with the neatly folded towel and clean clothes he had set there earlier, at the same time Bill began to speak. 

“I would sure like to do that, Pine Tree, but those things are not in here,” he stated matter-of-factly. 

“Yeah, I see that...they’re still out here.  Sorry, Bill, just...stay behind the curtain and I’ll bring them in for you.” 

“Sure, Pine Tree,” he muttered as he pulled the curtain back over. 

 _Did he sound... disappointed?  No, that would be weird, and creepy ...frustrated, maybe? Yeah, he sounded a bit frustrated just then._   

Dipper’s mind was awash with suddenly being very perturbed about the tone he thought he picked up on in Bill’s voice.  He decided to let it go, not wanting to over think the situation like he has a tendency to do, and hoping it was just all in his head.  He slowly opened the door and took the two steps necessary to be able to put the towel and clothing onto the counter where Bill could reach them.  So keen was he on getting in and back out of the bathroom in a timely manner that he didn’t catch on to the fact that there was a naked man standing in the corner behind the door.  As the brunet turned to leave, Bill pushed the door shut, stood in front of it, and held a halting hand straight out in front of him, all in one fluid movement. The girly shriek that inevitably came next both startled and humored the blond, causing him to jump slightly and laugh. 

“BILL!!  You scared the-” he paused to catch his breath. “What the heck, man?!” 

The poor boy’s eyes grew wide with realization and he slapped his hands over his face as he whirled around on his heel to face the opposite direction.  He reached out to grab the towel he had just put down and then held it out behind his back to the still very naked man behind him. 

“Wrap this around your waist, Bill!” he shrieked as he flailed the now unfolded towel around until it was tugged out of his grip. 

Meanwhile, Bill’s mind was racing with thoughts of what it was that he did that had Dipper so upset.  _I keep doing this to him.  What am I even doing wrong?_   He decided to just ask him.  Point blank. 

“Uh, Pine Tree?” he began as he clumsily brought the towel up to wrap around his torso.  “Why do you keep doing that?” 

“What?!  _Me_?  What am _I_ doing?”  His defensiveness was getting the better of him.    “You’re the one who keeps, well...uh...exposing yourself!”  

Dipper was clearly reluctant to want to say that out loud, but there really was no way of going around it.  He knew that he was being overly dramatic about the whole situation, almost to the point that someone would go to when not wanting to be found out.  Almost like he was going out of his way to deny something before even being accused... Something he wasn’t ready to admit to... 

 _Ugh...calm down, Dipper, he isn’t really doing anything wrong..._   

Still calm and collected, Bill rephrased his question.  “What I mean is, why do you keep getting so upset with me when my clothes are off?”  The mere mention of Bill’s clothing being off caused Dipper’s heart rate to speed up and face to get hot.  “See?  You’re acting all weird again.  Your face turns red, and I bet you’re even-” he paused and reached out to feel Dipper’s face, like he had earlier in the kitchen.  The blond’s hands were also warm, having just showered, but he could still feel the warmth in the other’s cheeks.  “Yep!  Your face is all warm again!” 

 _Yep, I’m definitely the one with the problem here.  What the hell is wrong with me?!_  

Unlike before, Dipper didn’t protest Bill’s touch, but just closed his eyes and actually found himself leaning into it a little.  He decided not to think too much about the action, as he knew that it didn’t mean anything other than innocent curiosity to Bill.  Remembering how Dipper had responded last time, though, Bill quickly pulled his hand away, not wanting to make him mad again.  The brunet felt the loss, mourning it for just the briefest of seconds, then opened his eyes in time to see the fleeting look of worry on the other’s face.  

“It’s ok, Bill.  Really.  I have been over reacting a bit.  It’s just that, well, things like undressing and being naked are things you’re supposed to keep to yourself, you know?  In private.  You keep doing it in front of me and it’s just...a bit embarrassing.  For me.”

Bill’s face was now painted with confusion.  “Hm...embarrassing...” he repeated as he pondered the unfamiliar emotion.  “That’s a new one for me, I don’t quite get it.  Because- we’re both boys, right?  I mean, don’t we both have the same parts?” 

“Yeah, w-we do, but... certain areas of human bodies are meant to be kept to yourself, ok?” the brunet responded, still a blush of pink in his face. 

“But why?  What’s the big deal if anyone sees if we all look exactly the same?” 

Ugh.  It was like trying to reason with a child.  A grown-up child who had no background on normal human conventions.  Dipper pinched the bridge of his nose and drew in a deep breath. 

“It’s just something you don’t do, ok?  So just... make sure you always have pants on, or a towel around your waist when you get out of the shower.”

Upon saying those last words, Dipper’s eyes unconsciously fell to Bill’s lower half.  The towel was still there ( _thank goodness_ ) but had slipped down ever so slightly to where it was barely hanging on to his hips.  Brown eyes widened in shock.  Yes, Bill was just another guy, like himself.  He had nicely toned abs, kinda like himself.  His skin was unflawed, like his own.  But there was something blatantly different.  Dipper’s mouth dropped a little, and he only came out of his lucid bewilderment when he heard the other speak. 

“Hey, Pine Tree?” Bill asked, rather concerned.  “Is there something wrong?  You’re staring at me, and you just got done telling me how we’re not supposed to be looking at other people when they’re na-” 

“Oh!  God, sorry!” he quickly apologized as he brought his gaze up to the other’s eyes.  It was hard not to go back to staring at his mid-section, however.  “I’m just shocked...is all.  Bill, your body is missing something.” 

Dipper thought it made perfect sense, actually.  Bill wasn’t conceived.  He didn’t spend nine or so months incubating inside another human being to whom he was connected via a permanently attached flesh cord carrying oxygen and nutrients until the day of birth when said cord would be severed off, leaving the connection point on his own body to wither up and fall off, leaving a remarkable scar that would either sink in slightly, or protrude outward.  You know, that thing no human being is naturally lacking; that which we have so cleverly dubbed the belly button. 

“What?!  What’s missing?” the blond yelped, as he looked down upon himself, trying to see what was so clearly not there.

His slightly panicked reaction was just cute enough to elicit a small chuckle from Dipper before he reassuringly said, “It’s ok, Bill.  It’s just your belly button.  Or, well, your lack of one, actually.”  Bill scrunched his face, mumbling something about how it was that he was missing a button that was supposed to be attached to his belly.  Dipper giggled again.  “No, it’s not like that.  It’s kind of like a scar, a spot on our belly that is left behind after we’re born.” 

Bill looked up at him, disappointment now reigning in his eyes.  “But...but I wasn’t born, was I,” he stated, solemnly.  “So I’ll never have one, or get to see-” he stopped speaking abruptly as his face suddenly lit up.  “Wait.  That means you have one...right?!”  Dipper didn’t like where this was going.  “Ca-can I see yours?” he hesitantly questioned, hoping he hadn’t overstepped the other’s oh-so-carefully guarded and diligently outlined boundaries. 

Dipper sighed, knowing that Bill was just curious and that it was just a belly button, after all.  He lifted his shirt up a bit, just revealing his navel.  “See?  It’s nothing, really, but a scar.” 

But Bill didn’t think it was just nothing.  He looked at it with all the fascination of a scientist discovering a new species of insect, or a new planet.  He looked down again at his own empty expanse of smooth abdominal skin, running his hand over it.  Dipper could almost hear a whiny, spoiled child’s demand of ‘But, I _want_ one!’ come from the dissatisfied look on Bill’s face. 

“Look at it this way, you are the only person on the planet with no belly button.  So that makes you _very_ special!  One of a kind, even!”  Dipper tried to candy-coat it the best way he knew how. 

“But I don’t want to be special,” the blond pouted, still running his fingers over his navel-less skin.  “I want to be like you.”

Dipper tried not to take that the wrong way, hoping Bill meant special as in ‘different’ and you as in ‘all of the human race’.  For some reason, the possibility that Bill meant he, personally, wasn’t special didn’t sit right with him.  Kinda left him feeling a bit, well, sad.

 _Ugh...stop being stupid, Pines_ , he mentally admonished himself. 

“Well,” he began while nervously rubbing the back of his arm, “Y-you are like everyone else... mostly.  It’s just that one little thing, a-and nobody will probably even notice.”

Bill brought his eyes back up to meet Dipper’s, about to say something, but there was suddenly a knock on the bathroom door.  Mabel didn’t quite catch the conversation they were having, but knew right away that there were definitely _two_ people occupying the bathroom.  Her face split in two with a toothy grin.  She hovered an eager hand over the pocket containing her phone, but then decided against getting it out.  Dipper had been tortured enough today, she reasoned.

“Hey you two!” she exclaimed after the final rap of her knuckles on the door.  “You boys havin’ fun in there?!” 

Dipper immediately flung the door open in a manner screaming that there definitely _wasn’t_ anything fun going on behind it.  “Mabel!” he scolded for the umpteenth time that day.  He quickly turned back to Bill.  “Hey, you wanna show Mabel?” 

Mabel’s face immediately paled.  “Uuuhh...show Mabel what?” she questioned, worried for the answer, especially after noticing that Bill was only wearing a towel around his waist...that was barely staying on, at that.  Like Dipper had said, though, she never noticed anything missing from the blond’s abdomen, though it’s only fair to mention that Bill’s hand was still covering the area.

Bill just stood there, not sure he wanted anyone else to know about what was different about his body that made him “special”.  “Oh, come on...it’s ok to show her.  It’s just Mabel.  She won’t laugh or anything.  She’ll probably think it’s really cool, like me!” Dipper tried to reassure. 

Mabel’s thoughts were swirling.  _I really don’t think I want to know what they’re talking about... And if that towel comes off, I am so out of here..._

The blond rubbed his hand around his skin a few more times, much like a pregnant woman tends to do over her growing baby within, before shrugging and conceding to Dipper’s suggestion.  His hand then fell limply to his side.

“So, look at Bill, Mabes.  Do you see anything different about him?”

Mabel looked over at Bill, eyes traveling him up and down, but mostly up.  She couldn’t really see anything that looked out of sorts.  “What am I supposed to be looking for?” she questioned both boys.  “I saw him this morning, remember?  More than I wanted to see...”  One more scan over him and she gave up.  “I give up.  He looks perfectly normal to me.” 

Dipper smiled.  “That’s just it!  He _is_ perfect.  Not a scar on him.”  

Mabel still looked confused, and was now growing impatient.  “Is this some kind of payback for earlier, Dipper?  You’re gonna play games with me, trying to get me to see something that isn’t there?”

“Yes!  That’s it!” her brother exclaimed.  “You can’t see it because it’s _not there_!” he exclaimed as he motioned to the spot on Bill’s mid-section that should have a belly button. 

Mabel’s eyes suddenly grew wide and her mouth dropped.  “Ohmygosh!  Oh, that is soooo neat!”  She leaned in a bit closer to Bill, reaching out her hand, but then stopped just short of actually touching the empty spot and looked up at him.  “Can I?” she asked. 

Dipper raised a brow at her strange request.  Bill casually nodded his head, wondering to himself why she would possibly want to touch him, but satisfied that she had asked nicely and so didn’t think anything bad would come of it.  For some reason, she felt like she had to actually feel that there was no belly button there; as if her eyes were somehow deceiving her, but that her sense of touch would prove it to be true.

She slowly closed the distance and ran her fingers over the smooth skin.  Stating the obvious, she blurted out, “Wow!  It’s really not there!  Dipper, why doesn’t he have one?” she questioned, suddenly concerned, like a mother who had just found out her newborn baby was missing a toe.

Dipper explained his previous thoughts to her as she continued to feel around Bill’s tummy, as if doing it long enough would result in finding it, after all.  She found Dipper’s theory to be quite sound, accepting it as solid truth.  

When Bill began to squirm a little, Mabel apologized and backed away.  She was now standing shoulder to shoulder with her twin, to whom she leaned her head to the side and whispered, “He has _really_ soft skin, Dipper...did you feel it?  It’s like a baby’s!” 

Dipper’s first response to this was a sharp tug on his sister’s arm in the direction of the door.  “No, I didn’t,” he whispered back.  Then, speaking louder so all who were present could hear, “Now, let’s go so Bill can get dressed, shall we?!”  He hastily ushered himself and his sister out the door and up the stairs. 

The blond left behind just blinked once, shrugged, and proceeded to dress himself. 

 _‘He_ is _perfect.’_ He smiled as he remembered these words Dipper spoke during the exchange with his sister.  

 _Thanks, Pine Tree.  I think_ you _are perfect, too._


	5. The Bedfellow Stranger

**The Bedfellow Stranger**

“Good night, Bill!  Good night, Dip-Dop!”

“Good night, Mabes.  Night, Bill.”

... ...

“Um, am I supposed to say something now?” Bill asked, hesitantly.  He wasn’t quite sure of himself, but thought that since the twins had both said that, maybe he was to do the same, and that if he didn’t, he would be violating some highly important bed-time ritual. 

A girly giggle came from his left; Mabel’s side of the room.  “Naw, you don’t have to.  It’s just something we tell each other when we’re ready to go to sleep.” 

“Oh.  Ok, then.  Good night, Star!  Good night, Pine Tree.” 

Bill snuggled down into his makeshift bed that was made up on the floor between the twins.  It amounted to more of a pile of blankets layered atop one another; hardly a decent bed at all.  Mabel was sure to fret about it for at least the duration of time she was still awake, until the blissful ignorance of sleep carried her thoughts away to the land of boy bands and brightly colored everything. 

The newly human demon was none the worse for wear, however, and was quite happy with this arrangement.  Shooting Star was to his left, and Pine Tree to his right.  All was right with his world.  He closed his eyes, pulled in a deep breath, and waited for sleep to take him. 

Except, it didn’t.  Or wouldn’t.  He could not, for the life of him, figure out why his mind failed to enter the unconsciousness it must have found the previous night when he had closed his eyes and opened them to find that there had been a significant passage of time.  That was not happening now.  This time, when he opened his eyes, no time seemed to have passed at all, let alone the few seconds that actually had. 

 _Heh...time.  It’s a funny thing.  Necessary and yet totally unreliable.  One would almost think a big baby were in charge of it._  

He laid there with his thoughts for a little while, his mind mostly wandering to the memories he had.  There were so many holes; things he couldn’t see.  Things that maybe he didn’t want to see.  So many questions that he wanted answers to, but at the same time, didn’t. 

Suddenly, he felt his whole body shudder, startled by a sudden awareness.  Of what, he wasn’t sure.  His eyes opened at the same time.  Had he been asleep?  _When did that happen? And why does it feel like there’s-_  

Bill froze.  A pair of shiny black orbs gleaned a short distance away from him.  White slits glowed from their centers.  As per usual with any human body, adrenaline and other such chemicals began to pump through the veins now running in overdrive as his heart worked overtime in reaction to the nervous system’s message of fear that was so clearly relayed to his brain.  While this was happening, he tried to reason to himself that this particular situation really didn’t warrant fear, at the moment.  He hadn’t seen these eyes before, so there was no reason to be afraid of them.  He wasn’t being physically harmed by their presence, so again, no need to be fearful.

As these thoughts began to slow the human instinct’s fight or flight processes, Bill began to relax once again.  He blinked a few times, wondering if the eyes above him were just his imagination.  After the final blink, they were, indeed, gone.  Before he had time to suck in a sigh of relief, however, he suddenly found himself surrounded by blue flames.  

He sat up in panic, watching as the circle around him came closer, igniting his blankets and even super-heating the floor boards beneath him.  It was like someone had turned on the comforting warmth of heated floor tiles to greet their bare feet on a cold winter’s morning...only this was far from comforting. 

It was hot.  Uncomfortably hot.  _Too hot!_  

“PINE TREE!” he instinctively called out for whom he felt would comfort him most.  Pine Tree would help him.  He wouldn’t let the fire consume him. 

In the next moment, before the heat became too intense, before it actually could lick at his exposed flesh, Bill woke up.  He shot straight up, taking in sharp breaths and looking around the room, eyes wide.  Beads of sweat had built up on his skin, moistening his night clothes, and even the blankets around him.  Though his surface temperature was quite warm, he found that he actually felt very cold and began shaking.  Surrounding blankets were quickly snatched and he wrapped them around himself tightly, but they did nothing to quell the inner cold he felt. 

Dim, silvery moonlight was illuminating the room enough for him to see that both twins were sound asleep in their beds, unaware of the traumatized Bill Cipher on the floor.  He would have to change that.  At least for one of them.  And he knew just which twin he would choose to share his trauma with. 

Dipper was asleep on the outside edge of his bed, one leg practically dangling off the side.  He usually slept on his right side, but had managed to fall asleep on his left this night, most likely a subconscious effort to keep his eyes pointed in Bill’s direction, should anything strange happen in the night.  He was a light sleeper, after all.  He would hear anything; wake up at the slightest of movement coming from the floor. 

Yeah, keep tellin’ yourself that, Dip. 

Bill regarded the sleeping form of the brunet as he stood at the foot of the bed before climbing in under the covers and lying down, back against the wall.  He was still shivering slightly; still felt the cold like its source was deep within his bones.  He decided to inch closer...closer, until he was able to nuzzle into soft brown curls.  His right arm reached over and pulled the sleeping form even closer.  Finally, warmth he could feel. 

Mocha eyes shot open at the realization that there was a body next to his... _in_ his bed... _under_ his covers... _touching_ him.  He relaxed, though, as he realized that a certain someone must have had a bad dream again and had crawled into bed with him.  It hadn’t happened for a while, more so when they were kids, but still did on occasion.  Heavy eyelids fell shut again. 

“Mm-d’ja have a bad dream ‘gain?” Dipper mumbled through groggy sleepiness.  He grabbed hold of the hand attached to the arm wrapped around him.  “E‘re gettin’ kinda ol’ fer this, doncha think?”  He patted the hand, then rubbed small circles on it.  “Hm...ya gots really sof skin, Mabes...whatcha usin’-” 

“Thanks, Pine Tree,” Bill quietly whispered back.  “Now, are ya done talkin’?  ‘Cause I’d like to sleep now.”  He yawned as his own heavy eyelids slid shut. 

 _oh..._

_My..._

_GAWD!_   

Dipper was now wide awake. 

“Bill!  What the ever-lovin’ _Fuck_ are you doing?!” he whisper-shouted as he sat up and turned to the blond guy in his bed.  Bill barely moved a muscle, eyes still closed. 

“Language, Pine Tree,” Bill whispered back as he smiled at the memory of Shooting Star scolding her brother earlier for use of that same word. 

“Wha- language?  Seriously?!  You.  Are in.  MY BED!!” the frustrated brunet groaned, trying not to wake his sister, who, thank all the gods, was still fast asleep on the other side of the room.  He did NOT need this little state of affairs memorialized for all eternity on the internet.  

Seeing that Bill made no move to vacate his current place of slumber, Dipper grabbed his pillow and whacked him in the head with it.  That pointed gesture of disapproval quickly backfired, however, when the recipient of the action reached out and swiftly tucked the soft item under his own head. 

“Thanks, Pine Tree.  This is much better.” 

“No!  I wasn’t...  Bill!” the brunet huffed.  He then decided he should probably just calm down (because he was just getting all flustered over having been rudely woken up, not at all because there was a cute blond guy currently sharing his bed) and so took a deep breath before continuing.  “Ok- just...what happened?  Why aren’t you in your own bed?” 

Bill suddenly looked up at Dipper, deep blue eyes sullen and almost fearful.  “I think I had a night- nightmare.  Someone, or something, wa- was watching me.  And I was cold- so, so cold.  A-and you... You made me feel safe- and warm.” 

Dipper’s first reaction upon hearing these somber words from Bill Cipher was that of pity.  He couldn’t help but feel bad for the guy.  The _guy_.  _Huh, more like the dream demon from whom all nightmares originate.  I can’t believe I’m actually feeling bad for him..._  

“Well, you can’t stay here, Bill.  You need to go back to your own bed.” 

“But why?  I want to stay here where it’s safe and warm,” Bill whined.  

Dipper could feel a tension headache coming on.  “Because, Bill.  This is my bed, and you can’t just sleep in it with me.  It was just a dream, it can’t hurt you, and you’ll be perfectly safe.”  The brunet was trying to sufficiently argue his point, but had a bad feeling he wouldn’t be getting through to the overgrown adolescent next to him. 

“Pine Tree...please...please don’t make me go back by myself,” Bill murmured, looking up at Dipper with sincere terror in his eyes. 

 _Ah, hell...he’s freaking begging!  I would be one heartless bastard if I made him leave. It’s just one night, I’m not even going to argue...cuz that’ll lead to Mabel waking up and... ain’t nobody got time for that right now!_ Dipper sighed loudly.  “Fine.  You can stay the rest of tonight.  And ONLY tonight, got it?  We are NOT making a habit of this.  And give me my pillow back.”

He rolled off the side of the bed, snatched up Bill’s pillow from off the floor, and threw it at his side of the bed.  _Holy crap, I did not just think of that as_ his _side of the bed!  It’s ALL my side!_ He slid back under the covers and tried not to think about what he was doing, not that his mind would cooperate.  _Just one night...it’s only one time, and we’re only sleeping...it’s just sleeping._   

He lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling, mind wandering to places he would never openly admit to, when he suddenly felt the other scoot up next to him.  His body tensed up, not unlike a prey animal that just realized it was being hunted would, at what he deemed to be a horribly invasive motion. 

But the blond lay innocently on his side, staring at the brunet with a look that Dipper couldn’t quite read.  Was it appreciation?  Relief?  Adoration?  No.  Bill Cipher was _not_ looking at him with adoration...was he?  Again, Dipper let out a sigh, turning ever-so-slightly in the other’s direction, but not so much as to be directly face to face.  This action caused the blond’s features to once again fall into that which could only be represented by a harshly admonished puppy. 

“What is it, Bill?” Dipper questioned softly, his rigid form somewhat relaxing after telling himself for the umpteenth time that day to relax, because this was a childishly naïve Bill Cipher, not the demonic, one-eyed, three-sided geometric shape of horror he used to be. 

Bill hesitated before finally responding with a sheepish, “A-are you mad at me, Pine Tree?” 

“Why would I be mad, Bill?” the teen replied casually, all the while trying really hard to not think of every reason he did have for being mad at the ex-dream demon from several years ago. 

“Well, you did make it very clear that you like your personal space, and you are kind of upset that I am this close to you now, but I can’t help it because you are helping me to feel secure and warm and I know it’s bothering you but-“ 

“Ok! Ok!” the brunet cut in before the other could say any more.  “I’m not mad, Bill.  Uncomfortable?  Yes, a little.  Ok, a lot.  But not mad.  Again, you haven’t done anything wrong, and I’m just being a little over-dramatic about everything.  I know you are new to this human thing and all the emotions that go along with it and you’re probably just scared right now, but you’ll get used to it eventually and will learn how to deal with it on your own.  So then, just relax now and go to sleep, ok?  There will be plenty of time to talk about this more tomorrow...”  He trailed off as he suddenly became very aware that there had been no reaction from the other for several moments. 

Now that he had stopped whispering, the sound of soft, slow, steady breathing floated over to him, affirming the realization he had just come to: Bill was asleep. 

 

* * *

 

 

Mabel Pines had the scrapbookatunity of a lifetime lying, quite literally, in front of her, and there was absolutely no way in hell she would pass this one up.  Maybe, if she played her cards right, and she pretty much always did, she would end up on the receiving end of a few little favors à la Dipper Pines, and certainly not because she planned on using his currently scandalous position in bed beside one Bill Cipher against him, as the several dozen clicks of her camera phone now insured she would have plenty of ammunition to do just that. 

 _Pffft...blackmail? I would never!_  

She silently snuck out of the room and down the stairs to admire her new found wealth via the many pictures she had just taken in private.  First things first, though- copies.  

 _Sooo many copies!_  

The younger Pines twin awoke to find he had unwittingly taken the role of the “little spoon” with his involuntarily acquired bedmate.  Bill was pushed snug up against him from behind, face buried nose-deep in a tangled mess of russet curls, one long arm wrapped around his waist and bent at the elbow to allow a hand to grip the top of his t-shirt in a choke-hold of sorts, as if its owner feared the body inside said shirt would try to get away.  

“Uh...Bill?” he tried, figuring he could talk the other out of his rigid hold on him.  Nary a response was to be had from the blond.  Dipper tried to pull the hand from his shirt.  He was met with the opposite effect.  The grip only tightened.  “Bill!” he whisper-shouted, hoping he hadn’t woken his sister.  

A half-assed muffled “Mm...” was all he got in response this time, but at least he was getting somewhere.

“Bill, you really need to let go of my shirt, and then MOVE OVER,” Dipper tried to demand, but it came out sounding more like a desperate plea.  

In his mind, he truly was begging for this situation to be over, like, yesterday.  He reasoned that if there was no positive compliance from Bill, and very soon, he would have to resort to remedying his uncomfortable position by any means possible, even if that meant having to slip out of his own shirt in order to get away. 

Dipper didn’t even want to begin to think about what Mabel would do with this little scenario.  His peripheral sight had caught the semblance of a sleeping form still inhabiting the bed on the other side of the room.  He thought optimistically enough of this to not actually go out of his way to directly verify it, something that, in hindsight, he would very much regret.

After some struggle with strong-gripped fingers, and a few whispered curses, the brunet finally won his freedom.  As he rose from the bed and was about to check on his sister’s ultimate sleep status, a few pouty whines emanated from the remaining denizen of his bed signaling their dissatisfaction at the sudden loss.  Unfortunately, it was just enough of a (~A _w, cute!_ was what he actually thought) distraction that Dipper forgot all about his twin, choosing instead to revel in the fact that another living, breathing life form would react in such a way to his absence. 

“Come on, Bill, you should get up, too.  I’ll make us all something special for breakfast.”  He turned and opened the bedroom door adding, “I make the best-”, but immediately froze as the wafting scent of baked goods invaded his nostrils on the uptake of a new breath.  “Shit!” 

Bill blinked a few times and sat up rather hastily at this strange remark.  “You make the best...shit?  But I thought that was the derogatory word people used for-” He was suddenly cut off by a rather distressed, and almost equally disgusted, Dipper. 

“No!  That’s not what I meant-  UGH!  This means that...”  He looked over at his sister’s side of the room, only to see that the form he thought he saw earlier was merely her blankets bunched up and half way over her pillow, making it appear like she was still there, but in reality, not.   _Kill me now._ The poor teen face palmed at the realization that his sister had, indeed, awoken before him; the action quickly followed up by a rapid increase in his pulse, and beads of sweat suddenly forming on his brow. 

“Oooh, your face looks hot again,” the blond innocently observed from the bed. 

“Shut up, Bill.”

Dipper turned back again to exit his room and began to plod down the hall, down the stairs, as a death row inmate walking towards his imminent extinction.  His own, personal fate, he imagined, would be much, much worse than any form of execution method ever used, either presently or long ago. 

When he rounded the corner and looked into the kitchen, the face he was met with held a smirk that could only be described as saying _“Good morning, Dipper, let’s chat, shall we?”_

Dipper slumped in immediate defeat.  _I am so not getting out of this one..._


	6. The Better-Dressed Stranger

**The Better-Dressed Stranger**

 

After some heated discussion (more like whining on Dipper’s part) and intense negotiations (more like unconditional agreement to Mabel’s terms), the twins had come to an ultimate truce wherein the younger would be guaranteed a long life of indentured servitude to the elder; a small price to pay, he felt, to have his “manly self-image” upheld. 

 _Pfft!  Manly...image?!_   (I know, right, Mabel?!  I was dying inside, too.) 

Bill had made his way down to the kitchen as soon as he was sure that the conflict between the siblings had been settled.  A few minutes of silence told him it was probably safe. 

“Is...everything ok?” he asked from the protection of the corner of the entryway, putting fair distance between himself and the other two.  

Mabel just looked up at Bill from behind her coffee mug with a huge smile on her face. 

“Yes, Bill.  Everything’s fine.  We were just- discussing things.  Nothing for you to worry about.”  Dipper plastered his best fake smile on his face, not wanting to have to explain anything about what had just gone down. 

“All-right.  If you say so,” Bill replied questioningly, not convinced in the slightest, but taking Pine Tree’s word for it when he said he didn’t have to worry about anything.  He felt it best to just play along with the mood of the teens and not cause any more disruption.  Something deep down nagged at him, though, telling him that he was most likely the root of the conflict.  Again. 

“Yes!  We do say so, Bill!”  Mabel chimed in, eager to lift the spirit of the room.  She had no intention of bringing their special guest down just because bro-bro couldn’t come to terms with his feelings and she now had full reigning power over him causing his now dismal mood.  “Come on over here, take a seat, and have some of these yummy scones I whipped up!” 

As he neared the table, he could see the freshly baked goodies in the middle of it.  They did look good.  And colorful.  And...sparkly?  Of course.  If Mabel made them, then they were sure to have colorful sprinkles and edible glitter laced throughout them.  Still, they smelled really good, and he definitely was getting signals from his stomach telling him he needed to eat. 

He took the seat closest to Dipper (nobody was surprised) only to deflate slightly at Dipper’s immediate retreat from his own chair.  Mabel raised an eyebrow at this, giving her brother a telling look. 

“Oh, um...I was just going to get some milk or something for Bill,” he rubbed the back of his neck, nervously.  “Or maybe you would like some coffee?” he asked the blond directly.

Bill looked at him, not really sure what to choose.  He hadn’t had either before, so wouldn’t even know if he would like them.  

“Could I try both?” he finally offered as his response.  He figured that way he’d be able to find out about both at the same time. 

“Of course you can!” Mabel answered.  “Dip-Dop, get the lad some coffee AND some milk,” she chirped, smiling big at her brother. 

Dipper rolled his eyes and did as told.  He began to think the deal made with his sister was as bad as any he could have made with the old Bill Cipher.  No, this was worse.   _But as long as she keeps those pictures to herself, it’s totally worth it._  

Turned out Bill liked both coffee and milk, together.  With sugar.  Lots and lots of sugar.  And even a few sprinkles thrown in for good measure.  Dipper was sure to keep him down to only one cup, though.  No sense in loading up your once-demon-now-human house guest on caffeine before knowing how well they can handle it, right?  Smart thinkin’ there, Dips.  

After all, Cipher _was_ supposed to be a demon who reveled in chaos.  Hopefully, they could keep that part of him locked away, or at least kept under control.  Either way, being with him for only twenty four hours was certainly not enough time to know what he was capable of.  Best to keep chemical additives that can elicit craziness to a minimum. 

“So!” Mabel burst out as soon as she saw everyone was finished with their morning ritual of breaking the fast.  “What’s on the agenda today, Dipper?”  The enthusiasm dripped off every word. 

Between waking up cuddled next to the new guy who also just so happened to be his ex- arch enemy, and dealing with Mabel’s blackmail ordeal, poor Dipper hadn’t really given much thought to the game plan for the day.  

“Hmm... ‘m not sure.  Maybe we should take him into town, show ‘im around.  Maybe it could help him to see if he has any more memories,” Dipper suggested. 

“Ooooh!  Great idea bro-bro!  And we can take him shopping, too!  He can’t go around in _your_ clothes forever,” she scowled, giving the accused clothing a look that very well could have set them on fire had she given enough mental energy to it.  Dipper was too offended to react. 

“Sounds good to me,” the blond offered as he saw Dipper wasn’t really responding. 

“Yeah!”  She fist-pumped the air above her head, causing Bill to raise an eyebrow at her, wondering what the air ever did to her for her to attack it like that.  “Shop-ping!  Shop-ping!  Shop-ping!” she began to chant as she exited the kitchen and ran upstairs to get ready to go out. 

Dipper gave Bill an amused look.  “Well, you’re in for it now.  That girl’s gonna drag you from store to store, all day.”

“Sounds like fun.  But, are _you_ ok with it?” Bill questioned, obviously concerned for Dipper’s well-being.  He was also pretty sure whatever happened in the kitchen before he had arrived there still wasn’t sitting well with him. 

“Sure.  I’m fine,” he replied in an overtly neutral tone, and then added under his breath as he, too, left the kitchen, “ _It’s not like I have much choice in the matter_.” 

Bill followed quickly after.  “Hey, Pine Tree?  What do you mean by not having a choice?”

Dipper stopped abruptly and turned to face him.  “Wha-  You heard that?  How-  I practically whispered it in my head!”  _Mental note- Bill has incredibly good hearing.  I should probably tone down my renditions of Disco Girl while in the shower for a while._  

Thinking he had done something wrong again, Bill turned his eyes down to the floor.  “I heard you perfectly.  I’m s-sorry...was I not supposed to?” 

“No-  I mean, it’s just that I barely said it where I could hear it, myself, so it just caught me off guard that you heard me so clearly.”  Seeing the blond was still a bit distraught, he walked over and placed a hand reassuringly on his shoulder.  “You don’t have to apologize, Bill.  You didn’t do anything wrong...again.  Dang, I feel like I need to record myself saying that and just play it for you several times a day,” he laughed.

Bill looked up at him, clearly feeling better by Dipper’s gesture.  “O-ok, then.  So, are you and Shooting Star ok?  Because it feels like you don’t want to be near her.”  

“Um, yeah, we’re fine.  Everything’s fine.  Like I told you already, we were just having a discussion earlier; it’s nothing you need to worry about.”  Dipper tried to be as convincing as possible, but Bill wasn’t buying it. 

“It sounded like a very intense discussion,” Bill muttered as he let his eyes drift to the floor once again.  “Pine Tree, I don’t think you are being truthful with me.”

Dipper let out a soft sigh.  “Bill, relationships are difficult.  Mabel and I are siblings, and sometimes we fight.  But then we make up and things are better again.  Yes, you’re right.  I am upset with her, again.  But I’ll get over it, again.  I really don’t want you to worry about me or Mabel; we’re going to do what we always do.” 

“So, why do I always feel like it’s always something _I_ did to make you guys argue, or upset you?” 

Dipper took a step back as he carefully contemplated his next words.  He knew he was going to have to level with Bill, if even only on a simplistic basis.  He had to remind himself that Bill really wasn’t an overgrown child; that he was quite capable of, and probably deserving of, more disclosure than he was giving him. 

“You’re right, Bill.  Since you’ve been here, my life has been a bit more...stressful.  But that’s mostly my own fault.  I have a tendency to over think things and allow things to get me upset easier than most people.  Like I told you yesterday, human emotions are complicated, but you’ll understand eventually.” 

Bill’s first thought was that, no, he would never understand all the different feelings he was being barraged with.  _If Pine Tree is still having this much trouble after how long he’s been human...how am I ever going to figure it out?_

“Maybe I shouldn’t go into town with you guys.  I don’t want to do something to upset you in front of other people.” 

 _Oh crap!  If Mabel hears him talk like that, she’ll think it’s my idea and...frick!  We all know what happens if I cross her now..._  

“What?!  No!  Bill, of course I want you to go with us!  Besides, we couldn’t possibly leave you here all by yourself, and on only your second day.  Come on, let’s go have fun today, ok?”  He gently grabbed hold of the blond, tugging him toward the staircase. 

At these words, Bill brightened up; glad to hear that Pine Tree wanted him to come along.  It put that certain smile back on his face, the one that was starting to become Dipper’s favorite thing to see.    

Not that he would let anyone in on that little fact.  Not yet, anyway.  Poor Dip-Dip still needs some time.

  

* * *

 

 

As they pulled up to the Gravity Falls Mall, Bill’s eyes widened in amazement at the shear size of the place.  The awe soon turned to something else, however, as a thought occurred to him. 

_If the building is that large, then there could be a lot of people in there...and a lot of people means...a lot more chances to possibly upset Pine Tree by doing something I shouldn’t._

The more he thought about the situation, the more feelings he was becoming overwhelmed with- Fear, worry, something else he couldn’t quite put a name to...  He stumbled out of the golf cart (neither of the twins had their driver’s license yet, even though if they did, Stan would never have let them use his car) and tried as casually as he could to call Mabel over to the side so he could talk to her without Dipper hearing. 

“Uh, Shooting Star?” he began, but couldn’t manage to get anything else out at that moment.  Something definitely didn’t feel right. 

“Woah!  Bill, you look a bit queasy, are you ok?”  Mabel, with all the concern of a mother hen, rushed to his side.  “Did you get motion sickness from Dipper’s driving?  I’ve told him so many times that he’s too all over the road, I’m gonna smack-” 

“N-no!  I-it’s not that... I think it’s... well, I started thinking about something and one thought led to another thought and all that thinking made me start to feel scared and worried and... and like there’s something in my stomach that wants out.  I don’t like it, Shooting Star.  What’s going on?!”  There was clear panic in Bill’s voice.

Mabel had a feeling she knew what was happening. “Aw, it sounds like you’ve got butterflies in your tummy!  Are you nervous about coming here?”  

The blond looked down at himself, the thought of there being bugs of any type in his stomach making him feel even sicker than he already was.

“What?!  There’s butterflies in-” 

“No, silly!  There aren’t actual butterflies in your tummy, that’s just an expression we say to describe the feeling of being so nervous that it makes you sick.  Sorry if I scared ya there.  So, whatcha so nervous about?” 

At this point, Dipper was coming around to their side, and Bill didn’t want him to know he was feeling all...weird.  He took a few deep breaths and decided he was beginning to feel a lot better. 

“I-it’s nothing.  I’m feeling better now,” he managed to say before Dipper could hear him. 

“Well, If ya say so.”  Mabel shrugged and turned toward her brother.  “Hey!  Let’s get goin’, Dippin’ Sauce!”  She simultaneously grabbed his right hand and Bill’s left hand, making herself the bubbly center of the hand-holding trio as she pulled them towards the mall entrance. 

 _Phew...I’m surprised she didn’t put_ me _in the middle of this.  I’ll have to remember to thank her later._    (Heh-heh, don’t hate me later, Dippy...ahem, I mean Mabel...don’t hate Mabel later.) 

They neared the doors, Mabel still with a firm grip on her two escorts.  Just before Bill thought the alpha twin was going to lead them straight into the walls of glass, they magically slid to the side, allowing ample space for all to enter at once.  Relieved, he continued walking with the others, glancing back momentarily to watch as the panes retracted to their original state.  

 _Wow, that was neat!_   _They never told me there was going to be magic tricks at this place.  I wonder what will be next._  

“First things first, Mabes.  We should look for some clothes and shoes for Bill,” Dipper offered as they stepped in front of the map of the mall.  “Let’s head to P.C. Benny’s.  I’m sure we’ll find everything we need for him there.” 

“Good thinkin’, bro!” the twin easily agreed and began pulling them in that direction.

Dipper thought that was a bit _too_ easy.  He was expecting a bit of a challenge, a different store suggestion, maybe... anything but immediate agreement.  _Huh, maybe she’s just in an especially good mood, or feels bad for giving me a bad time this morning.  God, please let that be it._  

It took about an hour of pulling out clothes, trying them on, putting them back, finding different ones that weren’t “Too scratchy”, “Too loose”, “Too tight!”, “Too... uninteresting”, and several other descriptors Bill had used to voice his disapproval of most everything brought to him.  Dipper was the one hunting all the items down, and Mabel stayed in the dressing room area to view the outfits once on and would give Bill a thumbs up or down to let him know what she thought.  

So what was the problem, you’re all wondering?  Well, Mabel’s thumb never met the up position...not even once.  She was quite abhorred over all of Dipper’s choices.  Not surprising, considering she hated pretty much everything in his own wardrobe, and his tendency was to grab things he, himself, would wear. 

“Ok, that’s it!” she huffed, surprising both boys into a temporary paralysis.  “Dipper, sit!”  The order was barked with all the directness of a military Drill Sergeant.  “ _I’m_ going to go pick stuff out for Bill, now!”  

Dipper slunk into the seat previously occupied by his sister, whilst Bill carefully back-stepped into his fitting room, casually shutting the door in front of him so as to not call any attention to himself.  

Mabel stormed out of the dressing area and whipped around the store in tornado-like fashion, returning less than ten minutes later with an arm full of clothing, and even a couple pairs of shoes.  

 _Whoa!  That was fast._   Dipper was abundantly impressed at his sister’s shopping skills.  

“Bill!” the girl shouted, even though the blond’s proximity was such that the utilization of an inside voice would have been an acceptable volume level. 

He cautiously opened the door, peeking around it as if there were a ferocious man-eating tiger on the other side of it waiting to pounce.  Well, it was Mabel, so... yeah.  Probably a good call on his part. 

“Here ya go, Bill!” she chirped as she handed over the first few outfits.  She was so calm and cool about it, like she hadn’t just had that little outburst a few moments ago. 

She took a seat next to Dipper, placing down the rest of the items she had in the empty seat next to her, catching her brother giving her a weird look.  “What?” she questioned innocently. 

_Damn!  That girl’s mood swings faster than the plot of a Ducktective movie!  Heh...women.  Must be her time of the month or something._

 

(Please excuse the author while they face-plant the desk...)  *thunk*

 

“Uh...nothing,” he responded quickly.  You are so lucky Mabel can’t read minds, Dip. 

Just then, the dressing room door opened and Bill stepped out.  He was wearing board shorts, black with horizontal yellow lines of varying widths, along with a black muscle tank top.  It was made of that dri-fit material that is smooth, sleek, and silky looking (feels nice, too), and it fit him _per-fect-ly..._  

 _Oh, God...why does he have to look so hot?!_  Dipper was practically drooling as he sat there staring, mouth slightly agape, obviously entranced with what he was looking at. 

 _Click._   

He didn’t even notice his sister had taken out her phone to capture the look on his face.  But, that’s a good thing, considering he already had enough pictures that he _did_ know about her having...what’s one more that he _didn’t_ know about? 

Several seconds had gone by; Mabel had already given Bill a thumbs up.  Her brother’s frozen state was now starting to creep her out, it lasting longer than even _she_ felt comfortable with.  At least Bill hadn’t noticed.  He was too busy trying to check himself out from every available angle in the mirrors. 

“...earth to Dippin’ Dots!  Hey!  You gonna come down off your cloud and rejoin us here?!”  Mabel had leaned over to speak rather loudly in Dipper’s ear.  When he turned to look at her, finally acknowledging that he could hear her, she added, whispering, “I agree, he is something to look at, isn’t he.”

“Wha-what do you mean, agree?  I didn’t say anything!”  Dipper defended, face starting to flush. 

Mabel calmly looked back over to Bill, giving him a signal to change into something else.  “You didn’t have to.”  A super smug smile grew over her face. 

Thanks to Mabel’s superior fashion sense, once she had taken over, they were done with the chore of shopping for Bill’s clothing rather quickly.  As they approached the cashier, it suddenly occurred to Dipper that they didn’t have the kind of money it would require to pay for all this stuff.  

Mabel to the rescue...again. 

She produced a shiny red credit card from her purse while announcing, “This purchase has been brought to you by: Grunkle Stan’s Secret, but not secret enough, and Hidden, but not hidden well enough, Emergency Credit Card!”  She authoritatively placed it down on the counter with a satisfying slap. 

“Oh...wow, Mabel.  If-  No, no... _When_ Grunkle Stan finds out about this, I am NOT owning up to it.  This is all you.”  He backed away from the cashier’s area with his hands out in front of him, not wanting any part of spending Grunkle Stan’s money.  _Oh, who are we kidding... I’m just as guilty as she is.  By the time the bill for this purchase comes, I’m sure Mabel will have thought of just the plan to blame it all on me._

Before leaving the store, Mabel had talked Bill into changing into one of his new outfits (gee, can you guess which one?!), which didn’t take much convincing on her part, really.  The board shorts and muscle tank were extremely comfy and one of Bill’s favorites, not to mention more weather appropriate than what he’d been wearing previously.  Discreetly, she also happened to mention that Dipper liked that outfit, too.  This was all the motivation Bill needed.  _Anything to make Pine Tree happy!_

 

* * *

 

The trio continued to browse the mall, but only after Mabel had Dipper take all the bags out to the golf cart and lock them in the back.  Couldn’t have hands occupied by purchases, after all.  By the time he had caught back up with them, they were standing near the base of the escalators having quite the discussion. 

“No, I have seen stairs before, Shooting Star.  They are not supposed to be moving!”  Bill actually looked quite afraid, keeping fair distance from the moving metal steps that seemed to magically appear from the ground.  _This is not the kind of magic trick I was hoping would be next._  

“Uh, what’s the problem, guys?” Dipper asked as he came up behind them, noticing right away how nervous Bill looked. 

“Bill refuses to go up the escalator,” Mabel answered.  “I tried everything... I even went up and came back down the other side so he could watch me do it to _prove_ it was safe, but he still won’t go!” she exclaimed in forged exasperation.  

“Pine Tree, stairs aren’t supposed to move!  I thought the magical doors at the entrance to the mall were neat, but this...” he looked down to where the stairs came out of the floor, taking a half step backwards, “This isn’t right!  Why do we have to go up there?  Please don’t make me go up there!”

“Oh, is that all?” Dipper mused, speaking to his sister, and trying to ignore the pouty, _hot looking... very firm and... ah, shit!  FOCUS, DIPPER!_ blond next to her.  “We don’t have to go to the second level, we can just stay down here and-” 

“No!” Mabel quickly cut him off, “I mean- the food court’s up there... and we’re hungry, right?  Aren’t we all hungry?  I know I’m starvin’ to death!  Yeah...a growin’ girl needs ta eat!  And I’m still a growin’ girl, Dippin’ Dots!  Oooh...speaking of Dippin’ Dots, we gotta get Bill some Dippin’ Dots to try!  Ah, yeah!  Let’s go!”  

And with that little monologue (which was so obviously _not_ a dubious maneuver to get Dipper to change his mind about going upstairs, leading to him having to most likely use physical effort with Bill in order to do so), Mabel closed the small gap between herself and the escalator, stepping on before Dipper had probably even processed what she had said. 

She was about a third of the way up when she added some more helpful information, “Bill, hold on to Dipper and you’ll be perfectly safe!” and that was about the same time that realization struck the younger twin, _How did I not see this coming..._  

He turned back to Bill, who was giving him a skeptical look, but somehow also managed to look hopeful at the same time.  I suppose only someone like Bill Cipher could pull something off like that, and have it make perfect sense.   _Ugh...he is just too adorable.  Ok, let's just do this Dipper and get it done with._

Not bothering to try to get the blond to step onto the escalator by himself, Dipper reached out a hand, offering the physical contact he knew would be required of him to even get near it.  Somewhere, he knew Mabel was watching him, already with a big smile on her face, and most likely with her camera ready.  He was going to try to not let it bother him. 

Bill took the outstretched hand, at the same time asking timidly, “Sh-Shooting Star is right?  If I hold onto you, I-I’ll be safe?”

The slight worry, the trace of panic... Dipper couldn’t help but feel good about doing something to reassure Bill, and if that meant a bit of hand-holding to accomplish this, then so be it. 

He smiled before responding with a confident, “Yes, Bill.  You’ll be fine.”

 

And with that, Dipper’s closet door was beginning to crack open, if even only the slightest little bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow...sorry if this one got wordy. Almost broke 4000 there. Figured I better cut it off and start a new chapter to finish this mall scene. Updates are going to be slower...I had already written the first four chapters when I brought this over to this site, so... yeah. I apologize in advance. Maybe I'll start cutting down their length, to get them out sooner? IDK...we'll see.


	7. Boys Behaving Strangely

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so it's Friday, and I seriously do not like Fridays for numerous weird reasons, so don't ask, but since it is such, I feel the need to have to put out the latest chapter. For whatever reason, I am so blocked right now that I can't even think straight enough to title this damn thing properly, and so this is what you're getting...what I feel is a half-assed, not up to my standards, chapter. More than likely I will mull over this for the next several days, resulting in some changes that I will have to update. Until then, feel free to read this monstrosity, but please don't hate me for it. And hey, if you have any suggestions for me...please, feel free to lay 'em on me. Like I said, I have no idea what is wrong with me, but I'm just not feelin' it lately and this chapter shows it.

**Boys Behaving Strangely**

  

Mabel had, indeed, been watching as the two boys slowly ascended the moving staircase; one holding on to the other for dear life, and one hoping beyond hope that nobody he knew would happen to witness the semi-chivalrous act of escorting a grown man up an escalator by way of a comforting hand-hold.  Her moods being as, well, swingy, as they’d been all day, it wasn’t too shocking that she had decided to just let this little scene be etched into memory the good old-fashioned way, and not take any pictures (or even video- she _reeeeeally_ wanted to get some good video, but that would have to wait for the perfect time).

By about the tenth utterance of a desperate “Is it over yet?!” by the blond, Dipper was really having a hard time keeping a giggle fit from spilling off his lips.

He knew it shouldn’t be funny, and truthfully, it wasn’t, but he really couldn’t refrain from thinking of just how helpless Bill Cipher actually was now.  He sure had come a long way from the “being of pure energy with no weaknesses”, as the arrogant triangle had once described himself.  But, looking back, Dipper supposed he really wasn’t without weakness, even when not inhabiting the boy’s underwhelming twelve year old body.  He started to let his mind wander to what it was that might have happened to Bill; what brought him back, and why in this state of being.

Unfortunately, this was not the opportune moment to be at such an intensity of deep thinking, and Dipper didn’t even realize Bill had taken a step backward until it was almost too late. 

“Whoa!  What the heck, Bill?” He was steadily being pulled in the reverse direction with him, and so begrudgingly took the steps back in order for them to be on the same level again.  As they neared the landing again, Bill quickly retreated another few steps.  “Bill, come on... just, do what I do, and you’ll be fine.  Ok?  I promise.” 

“O-ok, Pine Tree,” Bill relented, still very nervous of the approaching line where the steps magically disappeared, “but if we get sucked into... w-wherever it is those stairs are going, I can’t imagine it being a pleasant experience.” 

Bill’s eyes grew wider... wider... 

“Aaand... big step!” Dipper called out as they both took an exaggerated stride over the landing. 

The blond looked behind him, then at himself, then at Dipper.  “Huh...that was easy, and... kinda fun.  Can we do that again?  Let’s go again!” he squealed like a youngster, pulling at his parent to take them on the ride at the fair again.

Thankfully for Dipper, he didn’t have to let him down with an unpleasant “No”.   Being the cause for Bill losing that smile on his face would have been a crime.  Mabel was right there to greet them when they finally arrived at the top of the escalator, and she quickly grabbed hold of Bill’s other hand (the right one still in Dipper’s possession, though he seemed to have forgotten this cute little detail, or maybe was just fine with it...) to lead the pair in the direction of the food.  

“See, Bill?  I told you you could do it!  And isn’t Dipper just the nicest guy to have helped you?” she paused to give her brother a little wink, “...such a great guy, my little brother is.” 

Dipper internally groaned at his sister’s embellishment of the tiny ordeal.  _Thanks a lot, Mabes.  Like Bill needs any more reasons to attach himself to me..._  

As they reached the food court area with its massive sea of tables and chairs, most of which were occupied by people either eating or mindlessly utilizing their phones, tablets, and other such technological gadgets, Mabel suddenly released her grip on Bill’s hand.  She darted in the direction of a table that was big enough for six people, and which was already occupied by two girls whose eyes had caught not only the bubbly brunette advancing toward them, but also the two that were left behind. 

The action temporarily stunned the remaining two boys, as they stood there, still holding hands, watching as Mabel weaved through the other tables to get to her destination.  The two girls already sitting there whispered something to each other, then broke out in a small fit of giggles, all while keeping their gaze fixed on the cute couple. 

Reality phased back in with a vengeance as Dipper suddenly realized he was just standing there, holding hands with Bill.  As enjoyable as that was, he certainly didn’t need anybody else getting the wrong impression (sorry Dips, but they’re not getting it wrong) and so quickly dropped the other’s hand, feigning the need to reach into his pocket for his wallet as he began to make his way over to the same table as the girls. 

“Shit!” he cursed under his breath.  “Come on, Bill!”  Dipper desperately wanted to reach that table before Mabel could get any incriminating words out about him and the hot blond guy that he definitely wasn’t “with”, as he was sure that was how Bill would be introduced to his sister’s best friends, from whom she kept no secrets. 

“Language, Pine Tree,” Bill accused sweetly.  He really didn’t care about Dipper’s choice of words, but knew Mabel would have disapproved, and somehow felt the need to remind him of that in her absence.  “Oh look,” he added casually, “your face is red again.” 

 _Dammit, Bill!_ he cursed to himself this time.  He knew his face was red.  Hearing him say that was only going to make him flush even more.  _Damn this stupid hormonal teenage body..._  

The two boys barely got within earshot before Mabel was beginning her introductory sermon.  “Candy, Grenda...you are never going to believe who showed up at our door yesterday morning!”  

 _Oh no... she tells them everything!_ Dipper gave her a look of concern, desperate to stop her before she could disclose any information that could be...problematic.  

“Uh, Mabel...I need to speak to you in private, now.”  He grabbed his sister by the arm, in a way she thought to be impressively authoritative, and dragged her away from the table.  

Bill just followed their direction, staying with the siblings as he didn’t know where else to go.  _Good, at least he’s smart enough to stay with us._   Dipper was worried that Bill would continue to the table with Mabel’s friends, thinking anyone that Mabel knew wouldn’t be a threat, and therefore was safe to talk to by himself.  That could not possibly end up a good thing.  Knowing Bill was accounted for and in safe proximity, he re-focused on his sister. 

“Mabel!  Are you crazy? You can’t just go introducing Bill to people!” he began his rebuke with a whisper-shout.  “Even Candy and Grenda...I know they’re your best friends, but do you really think it’s a good idea to tell them who this really is?  God knows what will happen to him if anyone finds out he’s _Cipher_...” he paused, pulling his sister a bit farther away from Bill, and whispered even lower, “...you know, the demon that brought on Weirdmageddon, killed Time Baby without second thought, had his henchmaniacs destroy the whole town and round up all the citizens, turned them into stone statues and made them into his own personal _freaking throne_?!  Next thing we know, the mindless cops are knocking on our door wanting to bring him in for questioning, and then the government guys will be back, and Bill will be taken away forever!” 

“Oh, wow, Dipper.  You’ve really put some thought into this, haven’t you,” Mabel hummed almost reverently.  “Huh, I guess you’re right, but who do we tell them he is?”  Her eyes suddenly lit up in a way that could only mean she had come up with a very Mabel-esque idea for their situation, one that meant certain embarrassment for Dipper. 

Before she could even take a breath to speak, the male twin shot a hand out over his sister’s mouth.  “No!  Whatever you’re thinking, Mabel...just, no.  We do not need an overly complicated back story and made up names and all that.  It’ll just end up confusing us- and confusing Bill, who would most likely forget all the details and slip up somehow.”  

He turned back to the blond, about to apologize for the insinuation that he might mess things up, when he caught the look on his face.  It was shock and horror and sadness all mashed up into one unpleasant representation of the three, and Dipper was almost sickened by it.  _What the hell happened?!_  

“Mabel, go back to your friends and tell them we’ll be right over for formal introductions.  Do not, I repeat, DO NOT tell them anything about Bill yet, ok?  Can you do that for me?” he practically begged. 

Mabel had also seen Bill’s face and, therefore, was in no mood to give her brother any lip over his request.  She just wanted him to find out what was wrong and get back to the table as soon as possible.  “Y-yeah.  Yes.  I’ll do that, Dipper.”  Seriousness was extremely rare for the Alpha twin, but when it was warranted, her tone carried all the sincerity of a doctor who had to break the news to a patient that they had a life-ending illness. 

She hastily took her leave, skipping back to her friends like nothing ever happened; the faces of her friends definitely scrunched in confusion.  

Back to the two boys-  Dipper could barely stand to see the look on Bill’s face any longer and had to find out immediately what had happened.  He closed the distance between them in only a few strides, putting a hand on each of the blond’s shoulders and looking into his deep blue eyes. 

“Bill?  Wh-what is the matter?  What happened?” 

The blond just stood there another moment, almost as if he were in shock over a violent trauma he had just experienced.  “D-did I really do that, Pine Tree...” his voice was so faint that Dipper had to strain a bit to catch it all.  “Was I really that...that evil?” 

Dipper hung his head, shamefully.  _Fuck...he wasn’t supposed to hear that!_  “Oh, man...I’m so sorry you heard that, Bill.”  He slowly looked back up to him.  “I only said that so Mabel would know I was serious about not telling her friends who you really are.”  He really wasn’t sure what else he could say to explain himself.  He felt awful now, especially since he hadn’t had a chance to talk to Bill about his past, yet. 

“You d-did not answer m-me, Pine Tree,” he practically whimpered.  His eyes were filling up. 

 _Oh, no, nonono...don’t get upset...if he starts crying Mabel will have my head!_ “Ok, ok...yes, but please try not to think about that right now.” The brunet hurriedly tried to shift the mood.  “I promise, we will talk about our past, but not here, n-not now.”  He suddenly pulled the blond into a tight hug, which nearly instantly calmed him down. 

A few big pats to his back ensured that it looked like a manly enough hug to be had between two male... friends, and then he broke it almost as quickly as he’d started it.  _Friends hug, right?!  Right...friendly hug.  A friendly, manly hug...between two friends..._    

Ah, you’re too cute, Dip-Dip. 

“Thanks, Pine Tree.  But...you...hugged me.  W-why?  And in front of all-all these people?”  Bill was super happy to get a hug from Dipper, and it certainly did make things better, but he was also super confused.  _Human emotions are so strange..._  

“Oh, uhmm...I thought you needed it.  And it’s ok, people hug their friends in public all the time.  Let’s go back over to the table.  Oh...and just let me do the talking, ok?  I’m going to use your real name, ‘cause it’s a fairly common guy’s name anyways- just not your last name.  Don’t mention your last name.  At all.  To anyone.” 

Bill nodded his acknowledgment, and followed Dipper over to where the girls had been (impatiently) waiting for them to join them.  Concerned faces morphed back into happy, light-hearted ones as they saw the boys returning with smiles on their own. 

Mabel narrowed her eyes at her brother; a telling look of sass on her face that told him she had witnessed their little embrace seconds ago.  _Oh, he is so giving me details on that later..._  

Three sets of eyes were glued to the two guys walking up to the table.  The small Korean girl, the larger girl, and Mabel, were all sitting together on one side, so Dipper and Bill grabbed a seat on the opposite side.  Before they actually sat down, though, Dipper introduced Bill to the new girls. 

“This is Candy,” he said as he motioned to the petite girl with long black hair.  She smiled as she held out her tiny hand to Bill.  He first looked over to Dipper, as if he were making sure it was ok, and Dipper nodded in affirmation.  Bill took it and gave it a shake, but was not comfortable with doing so for very long, even though the girl’s grip was quite gentle, so he dropped it again almost immediately.  

“And this is Grenda.”  There was no need to point her out as the process of elimination would have told even a moron that she was the only other girl sitting there.  Bill could tell right away that she was not going to be as gentle as the first girl.  Sure enough, Grenda put a grip on his hand that would most likely leave a bruise later.  He tried his hardest to endure, but let out a small squeak of pain after a couple seconds of contact.  Thankfully, she let go before too much damage could be done. 

“Girls, this...” he paused for dramatic effect (why, even I don’t know) “is Bill.”

“Hello, Bill!  It’s nice to meet you,” Candy politely said in her small, Korean-accented voice.  

“Hey, Bill!” Grenda’s booming, manly voice rang out, causing Bill to flinch a little.  “So, you and Dipper, huh?!  You two are adorable!” she looked around at the other girls, “Right?  Weren’t we all thinking that?” 

Good ol’Grenda.  Speaks first, thinks later.  Or else just doesn’t give a shit what people think.  Always liked her.  Dipper on the other hand, not too appreciative of that little outburst, but already knowing something like that was coming (he knew Mabel’s friends too well), he didn’t let it affect him.  

“Whoa there, Grenda... Bill’s just an old, family friend,” he explained.  He looked over to Mabel for some back up.  “Right, Mabes?  He showed up yesterday, unexpected!  Such a nice surprise.” 

“Yup!  Couldn’t be more accurate, there, bro-bro!  Our long, lost, family friend!  That’s Bill!”  Mabel’s overtly agreeable words would have been seen for the lies that they were, had they come from anyone else’s mouth.  Being Mabel, though, the two friends easily bought it. 

There was a look of disappointment on the girls’ faces upon hearing that the two boys were not, in fact, together.  At the same time, the exact opposite look of hopefulness that they might have a chance with the hot blond guy, was also apparent; a look that was not missed by Dipper.  I suppose only teen aged girls could pull something like that off, and have it make perfect sense.  (Much like Bill did earlier with his skeptical/hopeful look... what is with these characters?!) 

The five teens (well, Bill’s technical age not withstanding) sat and conversed over the typical mall food court offerings of the overly salty, greasy, and sugary variety; Dipper managing to keep Bill’s intake of the toxic foodstuffs to a minimum so that his immature digestive system wouldn’t punish him later (which would most likely end up being a punishment for Dipper, also...he didn’t even want to think about what might happen). 

* * *

 

After about an hour, it was becoming noticeable that the blond was getting tired; whether from the girls’ incessant chit-chat or the effects of the energy-sucking, sorry excuse for food they were consuming, Dipper wasn’t sure.  He knew they should get going, though, and so gave Mabel that ‘we need to go home now’ look.  They didn’t have that twin ESP thing going on, but they sure did have plenty of ‘looks’ they could give each other that seemed to work in the same way.  Dipper sure appreciated it, anyways, not having to vocalize to his sister what he wanted or was feeling half the time. 

“Well, girls, I guess we’re going to head back to the Shack...”  She tried to sound tired, herself, but her friends knew better.

“What, already?  But it’s still early.  This is not like you, Mabel,” Candy squinted at her skeptically. 

“Yeah!  What gives, huh?” Grenda added harshly.

“Ha! Well, you know...Bill here still has jet lag and is tired from his trip yesterday, so we should get him back home,” the female twin offered as excuse, then added, “Hey, maybe we girls can all have a sleepover at Candy’s place sometime soon!  Then we’ll have lots of time to hang out!” 

This seemed to satisfy the two friends, while at the same time causing Dipper to tense up slightly.  Mabel having a sleepover at someone else’s house- that was always a good thing, because it meant peace and quiet for him.  This time, however, would mean he’d be left alone with Bill.  _All alone in the Shack...with a childish, sensitive... cute, sexy....a-ah, shit! Oh my gawd, Dipper!  Stoppit!_

“Whoa, you alright there, Dippin’ Dots?  You look a little...heated!” his sister giggled.

“Yep! I’m fine...j-just fine.Must be the food.Ok, then?!Let’s get going!”  He stood as quickly as he spoke.  

Candy and Grenda made a strange face at his interesting little performance, but neither decided to question him about it.  They knew they could get the gossip from Mabel later. 

They said their goodbyes and the three made their way out of the mall and back to the cart in the parking lot.  This time Mabel got into the driver’s side, making sure to give them a smoother ride home.  Dipper didn’t seem to care, though, happily getting in the other side. 

“Well, that was an interesting day,” the male twin said as he stretched in his seat.

“Sure was!” Mabel agreed.  “You think we got enough clothes and stuff for Bill?”

“Yeah, I’m sure it’s fine, Mabes.  You know, Grunkle Stan is not going to be thrilled about paying for all that.  He’ll probably end up taking it out of our summer work money.” 

“Psshh... don’t worry about Stan.  Deep down, he’s got a heart of gold.  And I’m sure you’ll come up with a good reason for ‘im,” she smiled as she elbowed her brother playfully. 

“W-what?!  You expect _me_ to have to explain this to him?” Dipper complained, not in the least bit taking that playfully.  “Shit, it’s bad enough that we’re housing a _stranger_ in the Shack, but one Bill Cipher, himself... how are we even supposed to explain _that_?!”

“Lang-”

“Yeah, yeah... ‘language Dipper’, I know!”  He dragged his hands down his face.  “I’m gonna have an ulcer before I’m 20,” he sighed.

By the time they pulled up to the front of the Shack, Bill had fallen asleep, curled up on his side in the back seat of the cart.  At least, it had appeared that way, but as they came to a stop, the lack of movement caused him to open his eyes.  He sat up, stretched, and let out a big yawn.

“Doin’ ok there, Bill?” Dipper asked him when he noticed the blond looked a bit wobbly on his feet.

“Oh, I’m fine, Pine Tree, just tired...very tired.”  He yawned again.

 _Strange how he’s so tired all of a sudden._   He checked the time on his phone.  _Only 2:23.  It’s probably just all the excitement today, a lot of new things for him to experience._   “Well, let’s go inside... you can take a nap or something.”


	8. Vital Information is Vital

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, finally got...whatever this is...out. And got a title for chapter 7, woo-hoo! This was kinda just a filler to get me to the next chapter, so next one should be, well, better. Meh, enjoy.

**Vital Information is Vital**

 

“I dunno... maybe he’s tired from all the fun you two had at the mall today,” Mabel offered suggestively.  She smiled from her seat as she watched her brother place another plate into the cupboard, knowing this was one of many chores she wouldn’t be doing for a while.  Dipper just stuck his tongue out at her, playfully, and turned back to putting away more dishes.  “You guys _did_ do a lot of hand holding, and hugging-  Oh!  That reminds me...” she stopped to narrow her eyes at him, and he turned and stared at her. “Yeah, you know what’s comin’...” she laughed as she nodded her head.

Dipper rolled his eyes in return, _Aaand, there it is... ugh._

“Come on, Dip-Dip, spill it!  What up with that hug?!”  She could barely hold in her excitement. 

“I only did it to calm him down, Mabel.  He was really upset over what he heard me say to you about what he did, and-”

“Oh, I am _not_ believing that, dear brother...you were totally _into_ that hug, admit it!” 

“Mabel!  I’m serious, he... He was about to cry, for Pete’s sake.  I wasn’t gonna leave him feeling that way, so I- yeah, I figured a hug would help.  A simple, friendly, _manly_ hug.  Friends can hug, right?  I see you hug _your_ friends all the time.”  He was starting to get defensive, which did not go unnoticed by Mabel.

She smiled big at her little brother.  “O-ka-ay~,” she sang.  “Sure thing, bro, I’m _totally_ buyin’ what you’re shovelin’!”  

If anyone could appreciate Mabel’s sarcasm, it was Dipper, but maybe not so much at this moment.  He pinched the bridge of his nose in defeat, as he knew he would never be able to convince his sister that he did not like Bill in _that_ way.  Of course, convincing others of something, when you can’t exactly convince yourself, is quite the difficult task, now isn’t it. 

“Whatever, Mabel.  Don’t you have some slumber party plans to make or something?” he suggested, desperately trying to change the subject.  

Thankfully, his sister was pretty predictable where certain topics were concerned, and she was more than happy to let her focus fall into this matter.  Her brother not being the one she needed to discuss this with, though, she immediately grabbed her phone off the table and exited the kitchen, tapping at the group chat icon for her two besties as she bounded toward the stairs. 

It was Dipper’s turn to smile.  _Works every time._  

“~Don’t think we’re done talking about this, Dipper~!” she melodically called out before heading up to their room.

_Damn._

 

* * *

 

 

It was around six o’clock that evening when Dipper decided to check in on Bill.  He was still sleeping, last Mabel had informed him, as she was in and out of the bedroom throughout the day doing, well, whatever it is Mabel does in her free time (probably coming up with more ways to cause her twin more mental anguish), while Dipper was busy taking care of gift shop business.  It was Sunday night, which meant there were plenty of things to do to get the shop ready for when they opened tomorrow.

 _Hmm...what are we going to do with Bill tomorrow while we have to work.  I suppose we could show him how to help out.  Yeah, that’s probably the best way to keep an eye on him.  Hopefully he’s not too tired again tomorrow.  Why is he so tired today?  Maybe he’s not getting enough nutrients for his new body...maybe he’s just not used to it.  Poor guy’s barely been human a couple of days, can’t imagine that being easy for a once-being of pure energy.  Probably just needs extra rest right now..._  

As he rounded the doorway into his room, the sight of the sleeping blond ... _under my blanket, in my bed..._ derailed the brunet’s wholesome thought train, causing it to plummet down a slippery slope of impurity that would have made even the Love God blush.  He simply couldn’t help it.  Bill was just too _adorable, too sexy, too damn perfect and innocent and I just want to... Whoa! Not going to go there..._  

He sat down on the side of the bed, making sure to not disturb the sleeping beauty.  His previous concern for the fact that Bill had been sleeping the last three hours or so was now totally lost, his mind now completely consumed by feelings toward the man that he was still not ready to openly admit to. 

_Ugh...why is this happening to me?  I was attracted to Wendy for so long...so I can’t be, uh... that... can I?  I still like girls...think girls are attractive... but there’s just something about him..._

A shaky hand slowly reached over to the strands of yellow hair that fell over the closed eyes of the slumbering once-demon who lay facing the room, curled up on his side like a content kitten.  They were calling out to him to be touched; a siren he could not deny, drawing in his curious fingers.  When they finally converged, the silky softness against his skin was addicting.  He gently pushed the stray locks out of the other’s face.  The brunet sighed. 

 _...something even more attractive...something more likable._ He sighed, looking down on the blond, who stirred ever so slightly before drawing in a breath. 

“Pine Tree?” the sleepy voice called out.  Dipper’s hand quickly retreated.

“Y-yeah, it’s just me, Bill.  He hesitated before continuing.  “I was just...checking up on you.” 

Bill rolled onto his back, stretching his arms behind his head and blinking purposefully a few times.  It was now apparent that he wasn’t wearing a shirt and it took everything in Dipper’s power to not stare at that beautiful chest.  

Something Mabel had said the night before came crashing back into his memory.  _“He has really soft skin, Dipper...did you feel it?  It’s like a baby’s!”_   Now he wanted to, _really_ wanted to touch that skin.  Nope, couldn’t do that now, though, because that would be...creepy, yeah, that’s the word.  _Damn, get a grip!_ He shifted over a bit on the bed, noting how he was still rather close to Bill, suddenly feeling very self conscious about it. 

Dipper swallowed thickly.  “How-how are you feeling?” 

Bill’s stomach growled just then and he placed a hand over where the sound had come from.  “I think I’m hungry,” he replied. 

“Sounds like it,” Dipper laughed, relaxing a bit.  “Mabel is making dinner right now.  Should be done soon.”  

“Oh, ok.”  Bill moved to sit up, yawning again.

Dipper stood to give him room, and then remembered his previous concerns for Bill’s need to sleep for the last three or so hours.  “Any idea why you were so tired?”  

“No, not really.  Maybe just not used to being,” he looked down on himself, “this?”  

The way he questioned it, his total lack of understanding of what he had become, as opposed to what he once was, it made Dipper worry again about disclosing the truth to Bill.  How would that affect him?  Would he get angry about having lost that kind of power?  Would he even understand the power he possessed before? 

He shook the thoughts as he turned to head downstairs.  “Yeah, maybe,” Dipper sighed.  “Get a shirt on and come down to dinner, ok?”  He smiled as he headed towards the door, slightly amused at the thought that Bill might just come down as he was.  _Mabel certainly doesn’t need any more fuel for her highly opinionated fire...cuz having to stare at that chest for much longer is going to give her just that..._

Too bad Dipper didn’t realize that the shirt wasn’t the only thing Bill wasn’t wearing at the moment.  

“Sure thing, Pine Tree.” 

At Mabel’s suggestion earlier, Bill had gotten more comfortable for a nap by shedding not only his shirt, but his shorts, as well, which left only the borrowed pair of boxers he had put on that morning.  Not hearing any specific instructions to put on pants, Bill just focused on doing as Dipper had requested and grabbed the shirt he had worn home from the mall. 

Mabel was just setting a plate of food down in front of Dipper, who was sitting with his back to the entryway of the kitchen, when she eyed Bill coming in to join them.  Her cheeks immediately puffed up and she had to hurriedly plaster a hand over her mouth to keep the giggles from spilling out, which would have hinted on to her brother that there was something potentially funny? embarrassing? awkward? (meh, she really couldn’t decide in that fraction of a moment, all she knew was that she didn’t want to give anything away) about to happen.  She quickly turned back to the stove to dish up another plate. 

“Thanks, Mabes,” Dipper said as he inspected his dinner.  “Looks and smells great!  You’re getting quite good at cooking lately.” 

Holding back another giggle, Mabel replied, “Don’t mention it, Broseph!”  She quickly finished dishing up the other plate so that she could catch the look on Dipper’s face when he finally noticed Bill. 

The blonde just casually sauntered over to the table, pulled out the chair to Dipper’s right, and sat.  Dipper was mid-swallow when he finally noticed. 

“Bi-” he started, just to be cut off by the sensation of food being sucked into the wrong pipe.  He choked for merely a second or two before a hard cough was able to sufficiently clear his airway again.  “Bill!”  His face now pleasantly red (whether due to nearly choking or the way Bill was dressed could have been expertly argued either way), the brunet tried to come up with the best reasoning for not showing up to the table in your underwear. 

Before Dipper had the chance to continue, Mabel’s floodgates burst.  “You should see your face, Dip!  Oh, wait- I can totally show you!”  She reached into her pocket to grab her phone, but then immediately shoved it back.  “Pfft...just kidding!  I won’t...”  Actually, it was more like she couldn’t, seeing how she was laughing too hard to even begin to hold the phone still. 

Dipper leaned his elbows on the table, rubbing his face with his palms.  Bill just sat there, not exactly sure what was so funny to Mabel, or concerning to Dipper, but figuring he would be told soon enough. 

The younger twin looked over to the alpha, just giving that ‘I’m not even going to address _you_ right now’ look, and then back over to Bill.  “I thought I told you that you need to wear _pants_ when in front of other people...” he gently admonished.  “And, didn’t I tell you to get dressed before coming down to dinner?”

Bill blinked in blissfully ignorant confusion.  “You said to get a shirt on.”

“Oh, right, I did... but I didn’t know you didn’t have the shorts on from earlier, and I just assumed you knew-” 

He was interrupted by Mabel who had finally stopped laughing long enough to interject.  “You know what they say about when you _assume_ things...” she smiled coyly at her brother. 

The saying, _When you assume things, you make an ASS out of U and ME_ , snuck into his mind.  He just rolled his eyes at his sister. 

“Ugh...nevermind.  I’m never gonna get anywhere with you two,” he grumbled, mostly to himself.  “Just- you need to wear something other than underwear when you leave the bathroom or bedroom, ok?” 

“Um...ok,” the blonde shrugged, still a bit confused about the situation.  From the conversation they had in the bathroom the night before, Bill had thought as long as certain areas were not exposed, he would be alright.  He glanced down at himself.  _Yep, everything’s covered, just as he said..._   He just shrugged again and began to eat.

 

* * *

 

Dipper lay in his bed, facing his sister on the other side of the room.  They had been engaged in serious conversation (for once) over how and when to talk to Bill about his past while said blond showered and got ready for bed.  He had relayed to her his fears about how Bill might react to the information, and she, in turn, would lend him reassurance that Bill would be ok, that he seemed quite stable.  Of course, she also mentioned the fact that he was quite fond of him and would do most anything to please him, so there wasn’t anything to be worried about, really. 

Just as they began to hear the squeaky floorboards from Bill’s ascent up the stairs, Mabel’s phone vibrated on the nightstand next to her.  Probably just a last minute text from Candy or Grenda, so Dipper wasn’t even curious as to what it was about, even though it was pretty late.  Mabel’s friends usually didn’t contact her this late on nights they had to work the next morning, but since they had been planning a sleep over all day, he figured one of them had one more detail to share.  The surprised look on his sister’s face spoke otherwise. 

“What?  What is it?” Dipper inquired.

“It’s just Grunkle Stan again...” Dipper’s eyes grew wide.  “He texted earlier and told me they’ll be back sooner than they thought,” Mabel casually announced. 

Not only did the mention of Grunkle Stan take him aback, but the fact that Mabel was so laid-back about it; like they _didn’t_ have a certain houseguest (who was number one on their uncles’ shit lists) that _they_ invited to stay with them, who was coming up the stairs as she spoke, ready to most likely cozy up to him sometime in the middle of the night again...  _Oh, gawd... that would be horrible if they walked in on that._   _And-_  “Wait, again?!  He texted EARLIER?!  Mabel!!!”  He could barely begin to think about why Mabel would seriously fail to not let him in on this little chunk of significant information. 

“Yeah, he had just said they would be back early, but hadn’t known when, exactly, yet, and that he’d text me back when he knew for sure.” 

Dipper was about to hit full-on panic mode.  Bill walked in at that same moment.  One look at Dipper’s face told him he’d better double check to make sure he had all his clothes on... _yeah...so- what’s he upset about, then?_  Poor Bill was worried sick he’d done _something_ wrong if Dipper was this troubled. 

“W-what?!  Back early?  How early?!  When?!  We haven’t even thought of what we’re gonna tell them!”  

Bill relaxed a bit at hearing Dipper’s concerns being directed at Mabel, and not him.  Still, there was something causing his panic, and he didn’t like seeing Dipper this stressed. 

“Calm down, Dip-Dip... Stan says they’re, and I quote, ‘...still en route. Be home before noon tomorrow, give or take a few bathroom breaks...you know how Ford is.  See ya soon, pumpkin!  Tell your brother he’d better have the place cleaned up nice.’  So, we have about twelve hours, bro, no biggie,” Mabel stated casually. 

“What happens in twelve hours?” Bill asked cautiously, as if merely asking the question could set off the horrible event that was surely coming. 

“Our Grunkles will be home.  That’s what,” Dipper snapped.  He didn’t mean to sound so harsh towards Bill; the harshness meant for his sister who casually wrote everything off as if every day of their entire lives were the happily ever after ending of a Disney fairy tale where nothing bad ever happened.  Or like every single frickin’ TV show ever made where all of life’s problems are worked out perfectly in 54 minutes or less.  

Bill cringed at the slight outburst, eyeing his bed on the floor and thinking to himself how this definitely _wasn’t_ the right moment to even consider not sleeping in it, and that even bringing it up would be a very, _very_ bad move on his part.  After last night, he never wanted to sleep by himself again.  He would just have to survive, somehow, on his own tonight.  He slumped down onto his pile of bedding.

“Sorry, Bill.  I didn’t mean to snap at you... It’s just that we haven’t come up with anything to tell the Stans when they get home, and apparently they’ll be here tomorrow morning, although, Mabel here doesn’t seem to think this is a problem.”  He glared over at his sister who just nonchalantly went about texting back a reply to Stan.  “But don’t worry about it, man...it’s not your problem.  We’ll think of something.  Let’s just all get some sleep so we’re ready to face this tomorrow.” 

“Oh,” was all the blond could think of to say at the moment.  _So, I_ am _the concern, once again._

Mabel put her phone back on the nightstand, relaxed into her bed, and tried to not think about how paranoid her brother was going to be in the morning.  Dipper flopped back onto his pillow, let out a sigh, and tried to not think about the huge problem he had to face, not to mention the fact that there was a job he still needed to do until said problem rolled into the driveway.  Bill lay down on the floor, stared at the ceiling, and tried to not think about how warm and comfortable sleeping next to Dipper was the previous night.

Needless to say, all three had a fair amount of trouble falling asleep this night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stuff's gonna happen... duh duh duuuumm...


	9. Meet the Grunkles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow...would you look at this! A second chapter up this week! Don't get used to that... lol

**Meet the Grunkles**

 

It was 7am.  Dipper awoke from an unrewarding night’s sleep drowsy and probably worse off than if he had just stayed up all night.  He was used to purposefully staying awake to read, study, etc., but this... the tossing and turning, the jolting back to reality after having just drifted off... only made things so much worse. 

His head throbbed.  His limbs were stiff and sore and didn’t want to move.  His eyes were heavy and didn’t want to focus.  And he had a near insurmountable quandary to find a solution to in, according to the alarm he had set on his phone (the one he never used, save for purposes of telling time and to wake him in the morning) that had just gone off, less than five hours.

 _If the dead could walk... Oh, wait- been there and done/seen that.  Yep, that’s probably what I look like right now..._  

He gingerly stepped over the cocooned-in-blankets blond on the floor that was beginning to stir, in order to rouse his sleep-through-world-war-three sister on the other side.  Usually this wouldn’t bode well with the alpha twin, causing a frightening scenario in which Dipper was always left wishing he hadn’t woken the beast.  This morning, however, he was much more afraid of his grunkles’ arrival and not having a justifiable, well-thought out, and prepared, excuse for the shack’s newest resident, than of his sister’s morning temper. 

He dug deep to find his bravest voice, throwing in a four-letter word for that extra added intensity. “Come on, Mabel!  We gotta get moving this morning.  Shit’s gonna hit the fan in less than five hours unless we put our heads together and come up with something legit to tell the Stans about Bill!” 

Stepping back quickly for good measure, he gave the blanket still covering her a harsh yank.  He knew what was most likely to follow up such an action: Either a swift kick to his gut or a stinging slap on his arm.  

“Language, Dipperrrr...” the groggy voice growled out from being half buried into the side of an artificial down pillow.  (Mabel prided herself on the fact that “No animals were hurt in the making of _this_ girl’s night time comfort!”, so there would be no real down feather pillows or blankets in her vicinity.)  

Funny thing, though, she had no qualms about hurting her own brother where her sleep was involved.  “Gonna get me up early to go tracking wendigos in the forest today?  I will _fight_ you, brother!!”  *Smack* right in the jewels... Yeah, she meant business when it came to sleep.

Nevertheless, Dipper would not be dissuaded this morning.  “I mean it, Mabel!  Get up.  We have too much to do, and not enough time to do it in!” 

“Uuughh... Here comes the paranoia...”  She rolled over, sat up, and gave her brother an annoyed look.  “I mean, how hard is it to just come up with a simple story about who Bill is and what he’s doing here?”  She tossed her hands about in the air for emphasis.

“Oh, it’s that easy, is it?” Dipper replied, incredulously.  “Ok, then... what’ve you got, sister?  If this is such an effortless thing to work out, then please, by all means, do tell.”  Arms now folded across his chest, he waited to hear her brilliantly simple idea.

“Sheesh, no need to get snarky,” she criticized.  “And I thought _I_ was the monster in the morning...  Let’s get up and dressed and eat something first, shall we?  I’m starving.”

“I agree with Shooting Star,” came a cute, tired-sounding voice from the blanket cocoon.  Dipper glanced down at the blond who was starting to unwrap himself.  “We should eat first.”

 _Is it me, or is this guy always hungry lately?_   Dipper huffed and made his way out of the room.  

Bill and Mabel followed soon after, joining him at the kitchen table and helping themselves to one of several boxes of cereal that were lined up, ready to be picked from.  Bill chose the box with a funny little man dressed in green on it.  _Well, it has the word ‘luck’ in it, and it seems like we’re gonna need as much of that as we can get today._   He wasted no time digging into the sugary goodness swimming in milk.

As Mabel poured her own cereal, she looked decisively at her twin and got straight to the point.  “Ok, this is what we should tell the Stans: Bill is one of our best friends from high school, so that means he’s from Piedmont, like us.  He’s eighteen and just graduated this year, and he wanted to come visit us here in Oregon for the rest of the summer, since he’s never been to this state before.  Since he’s technically an adult, he doesn’t have to report to his parents, so Grunkle Stan shouldn’t be wanting any kind of parental information from him.” 

Dipper contemplated this idea carefully while crunching on his own cereal.  He nodded slightly before adding, “That’s not an entirely horrible idea.  We can tell Stan he’s going to help out around the Shack, which should make _him_ happy.  And Ford, he usually stays in the basement all the time, so he’s never around anyway...”  With each passing thought, Dipper was beginning to convince himself that this might actually work... until another problem occurred to him.  “But... what are we supposed to call him?” 

Bill raised an eyebrow at this.  “Isn’t my name common enough that it’s not highly suspicious to keep it the same?  I don’t want to not respond if someone says a different name to me and I end up messing things up.”

The sullen way in which he spoke told the other two that Bill was quite concerned with his role in all of this; that he didn’t want to make any mistakes, and that he might be so worried about it that he ends up doing just that. 

“Hmm...,” Mabel contemplated.  “Well, Bill is just a shortened version of William, isn’t it?  That wouldn’t be too hard to remember.” 

“Yeah, that could work,” Dipper agreed.  “What do you think?” He looked over to the blond who was mid-swallow.  “Would you be ok with being called William?”

“Yes, I suppose so,” the blond answered as soon as his mouth was empty again.  “But if I mess this all up for you two, somehow,” he paused to look down at the few pastel marshmallows still floating in a lake of mint green tinted milk, “I’ll never forgive myself.” 

“Aw, come on, Bill, you’re a pretty smart cookie!” Mabel tried to reassure.  “You’ll do fine.  Just be yourself!  Except for the part about being from Piedmont...  And being eighteen...  And never being to this state, before...”

“O-ok, Mabel...I think he gets it,” the younger twin gently chided.  He turned back to Bill, who now seemed to be deep in thought, or else just _really_ fascinated by those floating marshmallows.  “Right, Bill?  You’ve got this.”  He reached over and gave him a comforting pat on his shoulder.  That got his attention.

“Thanks, Pine Tree.”

With breakfast out of the way, the Pines twins set to work showing Bill around the gift shop, giving him small and menial tasks to do.  Dipper tried, to the best of his ability, to explain what everything was, where it went, what it was for, but the curiosity of the ex-demon almost always ended up getting the better of both of them.  Dipper, undoubtedly, would not be able to come up with a good enough reason for one of Bill’s queries, such as “Why would people want to see a rock that looks like a face?”, and would be forced to throw his hands up in frustration while coming back with a final “Because I said so, that’s why...”, before moving on to have to explain the next oddity that caught Bill’s eye. 

After only about half an hour, Dipper began to loosen up a bit, almost forgetting about the fact that his great uncles would be home soon.  Little things that Bill would say would make him smile, or straight up laugh, depending on how cute, or how strange, Bill’s questions or statements were.

Mabel, the ever-observant sister, noticed the two boys’ interactions as they went about their morning.  Every look, every laugh, every miniscule moment of physical contact (which, coming from Dipper, was quite significant given how much he loathed people touching him or getting in his personal space unless absolutely necessary), was duly noted and locked away into her ever-growing mental list of reasons why she knew that Dipper felt a certain way about a certain someone.

 

* * *

 

 

It was almost noon, about three hours after the shop had opened and many customers later, when a vehicle containing two older Pines twins rolled into the shack’s parking lot.  The kids weren’t paying attention to the two older men who strolled through the door; all three behind the counter, talking and laughing about something a customer had said to them. 

Bill noticed them first, a memory flashing in his mind of the last time he had seen them, and suddenly he couldn’t move or speak.  _Fez_ _...Sixer..._   And then the butterflies showed up again. 

“Whoa, what’s the matter with him?” Mabel was still giggling with her brother when she caught Bill’s sight line leading to her grunkles.  “Oh!  Grunkle Stan!  Grunkle Ford!  You’re home!”  She ran up to the two old men, nearly knocking them over as she tackled them both in a group hug.

Not wanting to call too much attention their direction, Dipper just casually whispered to Bill, “Remember Bi-, uh, _William_... you’ve got this.”  The blond barely nodded in acknowledgement, still too nervous to move.  

“Howdy, kids!” Ford greeted before the overzealous teen had him wrapped up.  

 _Good... he seems to be in a good mood._ Dipper had been concerned about Stanford’s disposition, knowing it could mean the difference between a few friendly questions from the man, or an all-out bloody inquisition. 

“He- hey, pumpkin!” Stanley managed to get out mid-hug.  His eyes narrowed as they locked on the stranger standing next to his nephew behind the counter.  “Did Soos hire someone while we were gone?  Or are you two lettin’ just anyone wander anywhere now...” 

Mabel laughed.  “No, silly!  He’s one of our best friends-”  

“Oh, so you’re old Grunkle Stan goes away for a little while, and all the rules fly out the window...”  (Not unlike your old TV when you couldn’t find the remote, eh Stan?)  He was playfully admonishing the teens, knowing how his rule for not having any friends around while working was just about impossible to enforce.  Especially with Mabel.  

He made his way over to the two boys, ready to evaluate the new kid. 

Ford just stood there, not really caring either way who the blond kid was.  He let Stan handle things where the business was concerned.  It was only if he was getting some weird vibes that he would have spoken up, but, as it were, he took Mabel’s announcement at full value: Just another friend of his great niece and nephew. 

Stan greeted Dipper, getting in a quick hug, before turning to Bill.  “So, what do we call tall, blond, and charming, over here?”  Dipper face-palmed.  “What?  Your grunkle’s old, but can spot a chick-magnet when he sees one.”  The old man glanced back at Mabel before adding, “ _Best_ friends, huh?  Don’t go gettin’ _too_ friendly with Romeo here, understood, missy?” 

Mabel giggled.  “Oh, you won’t have to worry about _that_ with _me_...” she said slowly and suggestively before adding a, “wink, wonk!”  (Why she had to say that out loud while winking each eye one at a time, I’ll never know.) 

Stan raised an eyebrow at his niece’s not-so-subtle insinuation before shrugging it off and turning back to Dipper, who looked only a fraction of a second away from wanting to murder his sister. 

Poor Dip-Dip’s usually milky white skin was starting to redden like a vine-ripened tomato.  _Oh, gawd...don’t even start!_ Bill just stood there impassively, not really understanding the nuanced conversation. 

The brunet swallowed hard.  “This is William,” he introduced as Stan sized up Bill. 

“How’s it hangin’, William?” Stan so eloquently greeted.  “Put ‘er there...”  He reached out a hand at which the blond nervously stared. 

 _Well, this is gonna hurt..._ he thought as he reached out an already tender hand to shake the old man’s callous, meaty one; memories of how it felt to shake Grenda’s popping into his head.  “He- hello,” Bill replied as he took the hand, giving it the firmest shake he could muster up.   _Oooh...yep, another bruise coming from that._

“So, you go by Will?  Or Willie?  Or Liam, maybe?  Heh...crazy kids and their modern shortened names.  In my day, we’d just call a young man such as yerself, Bill.” 

Upon hearing that name spoken aloud, everyone in the room tensed up just a little bit; except for Bill, he tensed up a lot.  Dipper’s eyes grew wide, and he knew he’d better step in before the blond had a nervous breakdown or something. 

“Uh- it’s just William, Grunkle Stan...” 

Stan gave him a knowing look.  “Yeah, I get it...don’t need any reminders, do we...” his low voice trailed off before coming back to his usual rough volume level.  “Ok then, William...  Oh...uh, this is my brother, Stanford,” he announced, pointing out the other silver-haired man who had just approached the counter.  “The twin thing kinda runs in our family, if you haven’t noticed,” he mused.

Ford held out a six fingered hand to the blond.  “Hello, William, good to meet you.  You can call me Ford.”  Bill shook the offered hand, trying to not let his nerves get the better of him, but beginning to feel those butterflies getting worked up in his gut. 

The blond could only offer a sheepish, “Hello...Ford,” in verbal response.  

“Heh, not much of a talker,” Ford directed at his nephew who merely shrugged and shook his head.  “That’s alright.  I’m not much for conversating with people I’ve just met, either.  Well, I’m gonna head down to the lab, kids...I think I need a vacation from my vacation.” 

“Aw, already, Grunkle Ford?” Mabel whined.  “But you just got home!  I wanna hear all about your trip.”  

“We can talk all about it later...” he trailed off as he was already half way through the vending machine door.

“Well, that happened,” Stan deadpanned.  “Hey, why don’t you two boys help with the luggage out in the car.”  It wasn’t a suggestion.  Dipper grabbed Bill’s arm and motioned for him to follow him out the door.  “And Mabel, sweetie, go pay the driver for me, will ya?” 

“Sure thing, Grunkle Stan!”  She ran over to the cash register, smashing the ‘no sale’ button to get the drawer to open.  (Yeah, the thing is _that_ old.)  “How much do I need?”

“Grab a fifty.”  She grabbed the money and ran towards the waiting Uber driver outside.  “And no extravagant tipping!  I want my change!” the old man called out after her.

Dipper smiled as he overheard the old man while emptying the trunk of the car of its contents. _Good ol’ Grunkle Stan._

 

­­­

* * *

 

 

Later that evening, after the last tourist had departed the gift shop, and the sun had begun to dip below the tops of the trees, the Pines family plus one gathered around a couple of boxes of delivered pizza in the living room.  They’d even convinced Ford to join them.  Well, more accurately, Mabel convinced him to join them with (cute) threats and brute physical force, quite literally dragging him up out of the basement.  She wasn’t about to stand for having dinner without him on their first night back together in weeks. 

Ford was more than happy to oblige his niece, however, so it really wasn’t too much of a problem to get him to join them.  After all, he did promise to talk to her later about their vacation, and he wasn’t about to disappoint her. 

As they all sat and ate, the conversation was monopolized by the older Pines twins, as Dipper was hoping it would be.  He was dreading the inevitable moment where they would run out of things to talk about, and it would then shift to the blond haired, blue-eyed elephant in the room. 

He had been getting vibes all day from Stan.  You know, the unspoken kind that said, ‘So who is this guy, _really_ , how long is he here for, and most important, how much is his being here gonna end up costin’ me?’ 

The brunet was mid- bite, cheese strung between teeth and pizza crust, when the main topic was finally exhausted and Stanley asked what came across as his 64 million dollar question-  “So!  What’s your story, blondie?”

Dipper knew it was coming, but poor Bill was blissfully unaware, nearly jumping out of his skin at the grunkle’s loud, accusatory sounding query.  Thankfully, Mabel was ready to jump right in and answer for him, which, to any normal person would have looked kind of suspicious, but everyone knew Mabel to do this during most conversations involving friends of hers.  Stan very rarely ever spoke directly to the kids’ friends. 

Explaining to Stan that William was a friend of theirs from high school in Piedmont, was freshly graduated and didn’t have to report to his parents, and had come to Gravity Falls to spend the rest of the summer here; those things were easy enough for the female twin to handle on her own.  Explaining that he would be staying with them, in the shack, and _in their bedroom_ , took a little more finesse than she was capable of.  The job for this tricky little elucidation was going to be handed over to the male twin.  Yeah, the awkward and stutters-horrendously-when-nervous twin.  

“Well, where’s he been stayin’... you said he got here three days ago?”  He directed the question to Mabel, thinking she was still the designated speaker for the stranger, again not putting much stock into getting any answers from him if asked directly. 

Before delving into the matter, Dipper had the ingenious idea to first offer his grunkle another beer, which the old man happily accepted.  (Making that six for the evening... with any luck he was feelin’ it by now.  Damn, Dipper was hoping.)

Just as he was sitting back down, thinking of the best way to break the news that William was staying with them at the shack, Bill decided he would speak on his own behalf, feeling more than grateful for the twins speaking for him up until now. 

“Well...” he began, a collective gasp escaping the mouths of everyone else, “I have been graciously allowed to stay here the last couple of days.  I really don’t have anywhere else to go, as I don’t know anyone besides your niece and nephew here in Gravity Falls.  They are showing me how to work in the shop, and I would gladly continue to do this, with your permission, of course, if you would be so kind as to let me stay with them for the rest of the summer.” 

 _Did Bill just offer a_ deal _to Stan?!_   Dipper couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  _Huh...I guess deals are just in his nature, no matter what form he takes._   Dipper couldn’t decide in the moment if this was a good thing or not.

Oh yeah, blondie’s a smooth talker.  Working at the shack in exchange for a place to stay?  Stan could never pass up on almost-free labor. 

“Oh, uh... well... I suppose that could be arranged,” Stan replied, carefully contemplating all angles of what had just been offered.  “You don’t get the luxury of takin’ over the livin’ room or anything like that.  You would have to share the kids’ room with them, if they’re ok with it.”  He glanced at the twins who silently nodded their approval.  

“Yes, of course.  That is alright with me.”  He suddenly stood to get within arm’s reach of the old man.  “It’s a deal then.”  They shook on it.

The twins looked at each other, dumbfounded by what was transpiring in front of them: Bill making a deal for him to stay at the shack with them, Stan _offering_ the idea of having to share their room, like there was no other choice... and he was ok with this?!  _Sure, Stan’s perfectly ok with this since Mabel went out of her way to make sure he knew there was_ NO _chance of Bill trying to get frisky with her.  Well, at least he’s not giving_ me _the same warning._  

“Well then, since that’s all settled, I guess we’ll be off to our room for the night,” Dipper announced as he motioned to Mabel and Bill and headed to the stairs.  

At the base of the stairs, Bill stopped Dipper and whispered something to him so that nobody else could hear.  Dipper rolled his eyes.  “Sure, I guess so,” he huffed, although he secretly didn’t really mind at all. 

“Alright kids, see ya in the mornin’...  Oh, and uh, Dipper?” 

“Yeah, Grunkle Stan?” 

“Don’t _you_ go gettin’ too friendly with Romeo, then... ya hear?”  (Heh...spoke too soon there, Dip.)

“Oh. My. Gawd!... Really, Stan?!” 

Poor Dipper slapped a hand down his face and trudged off.  Mabel could be heard giggling for the next several minutes.  Bill just smiled and looked forward to bed.

 

(Yes, Dipper had agreed to let Bill sleep next to him.)


	10. Throwing an Ax Into the Works

**Throwing an Ax Into the Works**

 

 

By the time the weekend rolled around again, the Pines family had easily slipped back into their customary routines and familiar habits: Stan in the leading Mr. Mystery role, conning...er, uh, convincing the tourists that their money was well spent on witnessing all the (fake) attractions the Mystery Shack had to offer, the kids (collective term now including the once triangular demon) in their supporting roles, and Ford pretty much non-existent in his role as subterranean scientific recluse who only emerged once every few days or so to show off a new invention or discovery.

Speaking of routines and habits, our favorite boys seemed to have fallen into some cozy ones, as well.  They were inseparable throughout most of each day, Bill following Dipper around not unlike a devoted puppy.  And while Dipper would explain most of it off as having to keep Bill close by for “training purposes”, Mabel knew it was more along the lines of him secretly liking the attention from someone who genuinely wanted to be near him.  Even when Wendy had still worked at the shack, Mabel had never seen Dipper this content.

It was a similar story at night.  By the middle of the week, Mabel was no longer making up the blanket bed on the floor, knowing full well the blond would be found cozied up to her younger brother by morning.  No matter how many excuses said brother made, big sister knew better. 

And so it was for the latter days of that first week of Bill’s new existence that he found himself so engrossed with life.  He no longer even thought about his past; who he once was, or even why or how he came to be here no longer weighed heavy on his mind.  He was happy.  

No, he was more than that.  Unfortunately, emotions were still new to him, and he didn’t quite know how to articulate exactly how he felt about life now.  What he did know, however, without any hint of uncertainty, was that he never wanted it to change.  

Funny thing about life, though... it tends to do just that.  Just when you get comfortable...  Just when it’s going smoothly and everything around you is right where it should be... 

An inevitable episode of change manifests itself, throwing the proverbial wrench into the well-oiled gears of a happy existence.  And everything comes to a screeching, acrimonious halt.

 

* * *

 

 

It was a pleasant Sunday afternoon; mostly sunny, not too hot... the kind of weather you found yourself spending most of the day outside in.  There was a fair-sized creek not too far from the shack, a place Dipper often went to sit and read or study or just watch life go by.  

The three kids found themselves down at the creek this day; talking, laughing, exploring.  It had actually been Mabel’s proposal to bring a picnic lunch out there and just relax.  Sure, she was really hoping, deep down, to get some more scrapbookatunity pictures of her adorkable brother and his equally adorkable living shadow who never left his side, but devious intentions notwithstanding, it truly was a nice thought. 

They had finished eating, and Dipper and Bill were beginning to straighten up the mess.  Mabel lay down to one side, head propped up on one hand as the other was busy swiping through all the pictures on her phone that she had taken within the last hour.  She was facing upstream and just happened to glance up from her phone at the precise moment that a strange creature was emerging from the water no more than fifteen yards away. 

It was the intense color that got her attention first.  It looked nearly on fire from her angle, the way the sunlight caught its strange, bright orange frills and long, golden yellow body.  The creature moved seemingly effortlessly as it brought its approximately foot-long body out from the flowing water and onto the rocky shore. 

“Whoa... What is _that_?!” she exclaimed as she craned her neck to get a better look at the bizarre aquatic animal.  Not waiting for any kind of reaction from the other two, she quickly got to her feet and closed the distance between herself and the creature, being mindful to not scare it away, though.  

Dipper, knowing that Mabel could be so easily distracted by anything cute (or shiny), paid his sister no mind, thinking to himself that she had most likely only spied an ordinary forest inhabitant, like a bird or rabbit, and because of his disinterest in her sudden departure, Bill didn’t think it any big deal, either. 

Until suddenly, it was.  

As soon as the blond glanced in the direction Mabel had gone, he felt like the flow of life itself had instantly congealed.  A memory- Time not existing... or, at the very least, not existing in the same way it did now...in this form.  A feeling- Familiarity... akin to what one experiences from certain memory-triggering smells or sounds. 

“...Bill?”  Dipper had asked, now for the third time, but only for the first time looking over at the blond.  “What are you...” he trailed off as he finally noticed the other’s rigid stare.

Big, blue eyes were blown wide, whether from alarm or amazement, the brunet beside him couldn’t yet decide.  Dipper followed his sight line until he, too, saw the glowing golden creature on the creek’s shore, his sister squatting down not more than a few feet away from it. 

“Oh hey...Mabel found something that looks pretty neat.”  He smiled at what he believed to be Bill’s uneasiness over the unknown and unfamiliar as he began to walk over to his sister, motioning for the other to come along.  “What is it, Mabes?” he called out, genuinely curious as to what it was. 

“I think it’s an... axolotl?” she replied, Dipper now standing over her shoulder, looking down on the amphibian with her. 

“Yeah! It is.  But how is it this far north?  I thought these things were only found in Mexico...”

“Maybe it was someone’s pet and it escaped,” Mabel offered.

“Maybe,” Dipper agreed, “but it’s weird that it came out of the water like this, or that it’s even in a running stream to begin with.  I thought they preferred still water.”  

The comical-looking salamander lifted its head at Dipper, a look in its expression that seemed to agree with his statements. 

“Aw, poor thing... Let’s take it home, Dipper!  We can keep him in the tank in the living room and-” 

“You can’t do that,” Bill’s voice stated quietly, yet authoritatively. 

The twins both looked up at him at the same time, asking in unison, “Why not?” 

Bill’s eyes never left the golden creature as he answered them, “Because, he wouldn’t let you.”

 _Ok, that was a weird thing to say, even for Bill._   

Dipper was now bending down to pick up the aquatic animal when he felt himself being forcefully pulled back. 

“Ok... Ow!” Dipper cried.  

He wasn’t so much physically hurt as he was simply startled at Bill’s overtly harsh action of grabbing hold of his arm before he could reach the animal.  He shot the blond an equally harsh look, one that would normally have had Bill reeling back from the disappointment of having brought on such ire from Dipper.  This time, however, Bill felt no such disappointment; the feeling of having to keep the golden creature safe greatly outweighing that of not making Pine Tree angry. 

“Don’t touch him.” 

 _Wow, that was uncharacteristically harsh..._ “What the hell, man?  It’s not gonna hurt m-”

“It’s not you I’m trying to protect,” Bill interrupted.

Alright then.  Dipper was seriously weirded out now.  Even Mabel, who, by this point, had stood off to the side of her brother, the once-demon, and the strange aquatic creature, and was watching in silence the scene play out in front of her, was shocked and at a loss for words.  

No longer willing to play the helpless subject of the trio of spectators surrounding him, Axolotl decided he’d speak up.  He pushed himself up into almost a sitting position, like a cat on its rear haunches, the humans each taking a collective half step backwards as he did so. 

“I certainly do not need _you_ to protect _me_ , Cipher,” he began smugly, probably sounding a little more self-righteous than he had intended.  “After all, _you_ are the one who lost the bet, and only now do you find yourself in your current existence due to _my_ benevolence.” 

He couldn’t help himself to have a bit of fun.  It had been far too long since he had spoken to his life-long friend whose own arrogance he was unable to surpass before. 

The twins found themselves not entirely surprised by the creature’s supernatural ability to speak.  This was Gravity Falls, after all, and improbability just came with the territory.  

“Hello to you, too, Ax.”  Bill smiled at his old friend.  He knew Ax was just giving him a hard time, although he wasn’t able to remember exactly what for. 

The overgrown salamander smiled back, then glanced over to the other two.  “Are you not going to introduce me to your new friends?” 

“Oh, right...sorry.  Pine Tree, Shooting Star, this is Ax.  We’ve been friends for...well, for a long time, I-I think.  I can’t really remember.”  

Axolotl smiled at the twins, “It is a pleasure to formally meet the two of you.” 

“Pleasure’s ours!” Mabel offered for the both of them.  Dipper looked to be a little tongue tied at the moment.  

She made a move to shake, uh, hands(?) with the creature, but then remembered Bill’s insistence on not touching him.  Truth be told, she would have loved to have picked him up and given him a warm, Mabel-welcoming hug.  She figured that definitely would not have been appropriate, though.

“Well, those certainly are not traditional human names.  They must be special.  Something Cipher came up with, I would imagine? He always did find human names to be uninspiring... and forgettable.”  Turning back to the blond he added, “I find it amusing, actually, your own first name being what it is.” 

Dipper, finally finding his voice, answered this time, “Y-yeah.  My name is actually Dipper, and my sister’s is Mabel.”

“Dipper?  Well, I cannot say I was expecting that one.  Somebody must really dislike their _real_ name,” he declared, winking at the brunet.  He chuckled at his own remarks, ignoring the confused looks from the three humans. 

Dipper wasn’t going to let the creature’s comment about his real name go unnoticed. “Uh, y-you know what my real name is?” 

Ax turned back to the teen, a genuine smile on his face, “Of course I do, Mason.  Just like Cipher here, I know many things.  Well...” He paused for a moment in consideration of his next words, something he tended to do, as was his nature to think first before speaking.  “...at least, at the moment he does not know a lot.  I did that purposefully.  Subjugating this world to him with full knowledge would have been detrimental to all parties involved.  I am sure you can appreciate that.” 

The twins nodded in unison, knowingly.  

“So, you did this to him, then?” Dipper couldn’t help but ask in the moment.  In fact, his brain felt like it would burst if he didn’t start asking some of the millions of questions that were now buzzing about like a stirred up hornet’s nest. 

“I can see you have many questions for me, and I will, in time, answer those that I feel are necessary for you to know.  You certainly do possess the inquisitive nature, Mason Pines.”  

Suddenly, the golden creature turned and made eye contact with his old friend.  _I can see why you have taken a liking to this one, Cipher._ Bill’s eyes grew wide as he could hear his friend’s voice in his head, but could not figure out how it had just happened.  _Ah..._ Ax sighed, inaudible to the outside world, but clear as day to Bill.  _You do not remember our old bond, do you...  I may have erased more than I originally intended, then.  Well, no matter.  Just, do not let the others in on this quite yet.  Alright?_

Bill opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it again at Ax’s insistence.  _Do not answer me out loud, that would look irregular, Bill,_ the salamander deadpanned.

“I hope Cipher has not been too much trouble for you kids,” Ax continued, turning back to the teens.  “From what I have observed, he seems to be fitting in quite nicely.”  

“Yes, he is.  The first couple days were a little rocky, but he got the hang of it!” the alpha twin answered excitedly.  “He and Dipper get along _really_ well- Wink, wonk!” 

“Oh?”  Ax was sincerely interested in hearing all about this.  “Why don’t you sit with me and we can talk all about that.” 

Mabel was more than eager to indulge this request as she made herself more comfortable sitting cross-legged on the grassy edge of the stream away from the sand. 

 _Aaaand there it starts... again._   Dipper face palmed as he reluctantly joined his sister on the ground.  Was he really going to have to sit through the humiliation of being teased about his and Bill’s relationship ( _We do NOT have a THING!_ ), and in front of a talking amphibian, no less?!  He really didn’t know how to respond to the latest _suggestive_ way that he and Bill got along from his sister, so he tried not to think about it.  It really wasn’t worth worrying about right now. 

As his sister and the golden creature sat and chatted, Dipper’s thoughts wandered elsewhere.  What was truly pressing on his mind was the previous mention of a bet.   _Did Bill Cipher really find himself in this situation because he lost a bet?!_ Taking to heart what the axolotl had recently said about answering his questions in time, he didn’t think now was the best time to bring it up.  Little did he know, however, that Bill had also found himself stuck on that prominent little detail. 

When there was finally a lull in the conversation between girl and animal (I know, shocking, right?!), Bill suddenly spoke up.  “W-wait.  Ax, you said before that we made a bet...  What bet?” he asked.  

Dipper suddenly looked up, ripped from his own thoughts at the mention of the bet.

“Ah, yes.  I was wondering when you would bring that up.  Now, before we get into this discussion, Cipher, I want you to be aware of the ramifications on your current reality from learning any specifics about your past.”

“Ra-ramifications?” the blond stuttered.  It wasn’t a question of the definition of the word.  He knew exactly what it meant.  He just didn’t realize there would be any such thing.

Ax gave a somber nod.  “Yes, Bill.  Anything I tell you has the potential of opening your mind to what you once were, and having old capabilities recovered.  In other words, the more you know, the more you will revert back to who you once were.  I should also mention that if you were to physically touch me, you would instantly regain everything.” 

“What?!  You’re only _now_ mentioning that!?” Dipper cried.  “Don’t you think we should have known that very crucial piece of information from the very moment you showed up?”  

The thought that Bill’s power and knowledge could be instantly revived sent his heart racing.  And not in a good way.  Unconsciously, he leaned over to the blond, placing both hands on each of his shoulders, pulling him towards himself and away from the amphibian. 

Bill gently removed one of the hands from his shoulder, holding it firmly in his own as if to say he was grateful for Dipper’s concern.  The gesture did not go unnoticed by Mabel, but she knew now was not the time for fan-girling over the two boys.  As much as it killed her slowly on the inside, she remained quiet. 

“It’s ok, Pine Tree,” Bill tried to reassure the worried teen.  “I didn’t want anyone to touch him, remember?  That included me.  And knowing this now, I won’t get too close.”  The blond’s words seemed to calm Dipper down enough to where his quickened pulse returned to a more normal pace. 

“I am sorry for upsetting you, Dipper.  I would never do that intentionally.  If there were any chance that Cipher would have touched me before, I would have warned him earlier.  I know him well enough to know with certainty that would not happen,” Ax explained. 

Dipper accepted the axolotl’s apology, and apologized for his own crass outburst.  He told himself that this creature, if he were anything like Bill, would have already done malicious things, were that his intentions here.  But it was obvious to him that Ax was nothing like Bill... well, like Bill used to be.  

The golden creature asked of his friend, “Knowing what I have told you, do you still want the answer to your question?” 

If Bill was completely honest with himself, he didn’t immediately want to say no.  Something deep inside wanted to know; needed to understand the why and how of his current being.  At the same time, he didn’t want things to change.  He was happy with the way things were.  His hesitation to answering Ax’s question was telling. 

“Bill?” Dipper nudged him gently from his thoughts.  “You...want to know, don’t you.”  He wrestled with his own emotions for a brief moment before continuing.  “I’m sure it will be ok.  I mean, you already remember some of what happened...and it’s not like you aren’t making your own choices.  You are your own person, Bill.  You decide who you want to be, nobody else does.”

“Sure, if you think so, Pine Tree... But just the bet.  Nothing else.  I just want to know what it was.” 

Ax informed all present about the bet by repeating what he had said so many thousands of years prior.  “‘If the day comes where a human has bested one of us, and you or I are at the brink of total obliteration, we simply need to call upon the other and our being will be saved.’  When Stanley Pines had you trapped in his mind, you knew you had lost.  You called on me, and I saved your existence, just as we said we would do for each other.  The only other stipulations of our bet were that the winner would choose when and as what the other would return.” 

Dipper was fascinated with the amphibian’s information.  It made a lot of sense to him, now, why Bill’s attitude was so much different in his human form as opposed to his other, more ethereal one.  With all his power, Bill felt no threat from people.  He was free to use them as he desired, and probably was beginning to grow bored of them, bringing his desire to start Weirdmageddon into the picture. 

 _Ax had decided to bring him back into existence as the very being he was so hell bent on destroying... wanting to teach Bill a lesson.  Huh..._   His thoughts trailed off as he heard the creature speak again. 

“I chose for you to be human, Cipher, so that you could possibly learn how to empathize with them...” 

 _I knew it!_ Dipper silently praised himself for his accurate insight. 

“...and maybe even learn what it is like to be truly loved by them, not just venerated or feared.  And _he_ is why I brought you back now,” the creature said as he swished his broad tail in Dipper’s direction, “nearly four years later, as he is of an age that he should have a solid understanding of how all forms of love work.” 

He gave a small nod and knowing look towards Dipper, whose face had turned a cute hue of red because he already had an idea that this was where Ax was going. 

Mabel smiled big; giggles threatening to spill forth from her hand-clasped lips.  She also knew where this was going, and she was going to have the time of her life making sure that Bill got everything Ax wanted for him.  Or else die trying.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys...if you're still with me, I love you and love your support! Please let me know what you think of the chapter!


	11. Meeting of the Minds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holy frick...Is Dipper finally gonna admit to it?! And Grunkle Stan loses a bet that he (apparently) made with Mabel sometime in the past week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT/UPDATE- I have inserted a link to fan art done for this chapter. Check it out...

A lovely piece of fan art by the even lovelier Sparkly_Bunny_of_Death:  [Dipper and Bill (sketch)](https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B9WHNznRQr7aZkJocTRRQkh0QVBHUlBmZ3BzVXJIMDcxMFJV)

A family member colored it in for me:  [Dipper and Bill (colored)](https://drive.google.com/open?id=1k9bcCC1LYviZ6QL-xZeeEC1kkqNVE0ap)

 

**Meeting of the Minds**

 

It was later in the evening, after an exciting day of meeting Bill's ancient friend and learning all about their bet, and Mabel trying to convince the amphibian to stay with them a little longer (they did have that aquarium that looked awfully deserted in the living room, not that the golden being had to live in one) and Dipper arguing that Ford's presence was reason enough to not bring yet another supernatural entity into the shack, that the three found themselves winding down in the living room in front of the TV. Mabel had insisted on choosing what they watch for the first hour, much to Dipper's dismay, but Bill found the show to be quite fascinating. Of course, Bill found any type of animated shows fascinating. He really liked this particular art style, though, and decided he needed more of it in his life.

When the end credits finally rolled after the second episode, Dipper sighed and held his hand out towards his sister, signaling his desire to control the next show they would watch.

"Aw, just _one_ more?" she complained.

The blond had that same, pleading look in his eyes. "Yeah, just one?" he begged.

"Uhhhggg... _One_ more, that's it," Dipper groaned.

Unlike his sister, Bill was just too adorable to say no to. Secretly, Dipper was kind of curious as to what would happen in the next episode, also. The other two let out a collective "Yay!" and settled in for one more installment of the Japanese anime they were watching.

After hearing the opening theme song for the third time that night, Bill began to wonder about something. "So... if you kiss someone, that means you will fall in love?" he inquired of not really anyone in particular.

Mabel giggled. Dipper just sat there, waiting for his sister to come up with, no doubt, a brilliant answer followed by a coffee fueled sermon on the subject. To his amazement, that didn't happen, her response being quick and to the point.

"Sometimes," the alpha twin started. "Or, sometimes you fall in love with someone first, and then you kiss them. It just depends." She smiled at her brother who knowingly avoided looking directly at her.

Bill was trying to decide which one he thought should come first, but then had to ask the pressing question, "Depends on what?"

"Mmm...well, lots of things, really. But mostly it depends on the other person involved and whether or not you know they already have feelings for you, too."

"Oh." Bill only pondered that for a half second before another pressing question developed. "But how do you know for certain if the other person has those same feelings?"

By this time the theme song had finished and the episode was beginning. "Well now that, my dear, is a discussion for another day... now shush, it's starting!" she playfully chided.

Dipper rolled his eyes, but smiled as he thought to himself how that particular discussion with Mabel could very well last for several days, not just one.

At the end of the episode, Mabel stretched and yawned, complaining how she could barely keep her eyes open. Dipper knew it was just an excuse to leave so she wouldn't have to watch what he picked next. It was really a bit of both. She vacated her spot on the couch, freeing up some much appreciated real estate for Dipper. He had been stuck in the middle of the other two, not really having anything to lean against as he- 1, didn't feel like getting smacked by his sister for leaning on her, and 2, was not going to provide said sister with more scrapbookatunity fodder by leaning against Bill. He quickly shifted into the corner, resting up against the arm and back of the couch and stretching his legs out.

Bill took the opportunity of the intermission to go to the bathroom and while doing so, contemplated more on what Mabel had told him. The more he thought about it, the more questions he had. What, exactly, did he feel for the twins? Did he like them or love them? Were they someone he considered good friends or like family? And how did they feel about him? Did they see him as just a friend or like a part of their family? And what was the difference, anyways? Friends, family...they were both people who you wanted to be around, right? But then why didn't he feel the same around Star as he felt when he was around Pine Tree? He liked being around both of them, but something felt different with Dipper, felt more... intense.

He wondered if he would ever get these human emotions down.

After washing his hands thoroughly, (a directive Dipper had drilled into him after what amusingly became known as the 'Bill vs. Brownie' incident; _"Hey, it's not my fault it looks like that!"_ Mabel had defended of her baked confections. Here's a tip- don't eat one of Mabel's brownies with your hands, use a fork instead, because all the gooey chocolate chips she puts in those things can get under your fingernails...and might not totally wash away, leaving people like Dipper to get all accusatory, even when you've washed your hands before leaving the bathroom), he returned to find Dipper had decided on a sci-fi movie.

The blond really didn't care what they watched, he just enjoyed being in the company of the other boy and was happy that the teen seemed to be a lot more comfortable around him now, especially when they were alone. Or when he was snuggled up to him in the same bed at night.

He casually fell back into the couch, a bit closer to the middle this time, leaning in Dipper's direction, but not so much as to make the brunet notice.

"So, what's this?" he asked as the introduction music began playing.

You know that feeling you get when you are about to share something with someone, something that you absolutely love and get all giddy over every time you see or hear or taste it, that feeling that you are about to pass on the experience of a lifetime to a poor, unknowing soul who hasn't really lived until they, too, experience it? Yeah, that's how Dipper felt at this moment. He was going to share his absolute favorite movie of all time, one that he could sit and watch over and over again, one that he could probably quote any line from, one that made every other family member want to vomit up their breakfast at mere mention because they were sooo sick to death of listening to him geek out over it at any chance he got.

"Oh, just my absolute favorite movie EVER," Dip smiled as he waited for whatever Bill's response would be.

"Oh. Ok," the blond shrugged, none too impressed at what he was already seeing. Dipper raised an eyebrow at the lackluster response, but didn't say anything.

Mystery, drama, suspense, and a bit of science fiction thrown in for, well, that extra nerd appeal, I suppose...this is what amounted to what Dipper considered great entertainment. Even though it had to be the five hundredth time he was watching it, he was glued like it was his first. Bill, obviously more into animation than live-action stuff, had become rather bored about half way in and actually fell asleep.

As the blond had already been leaning in on Dipper's half of the couch, falling asleep only allowed for gravity to take him the rest of the way. He slowly slipped over until his head came to rest nearly atop Dipper's right thigh. This got the brunet's attention immediately and he glanced down to see the once demon now seemingly sound asleep.

_Aw, you fell asleep at one of my favorite parts..._

He smiled at the adorable guy resting against him, and before he even realized it was happening, his right arm moved towards him. That golden hair of his was now within tantalizing reach of Dipper's right hand. Once again, he was lured into running his fingers through the soft, silky strands, and again, the feeling was addicting. This time, however, something else happened when his fingers made contact.

A strange sensation flowed throughout the teen, like the feeling of an electrical current, but not nearly as harsh. It was actually quite pleasant.

 _Whoa, what the... that was weird..._ He removed his hand. _Hmm... I wonder..._ He reached back, dipping his fingers into the soft strands again, and the sensation returned. _Whatever this is, it feels kinda nice, so it can't be a bad thing... I hope._

He was momentarily distracted by a loud sound from the kitchen, but then immediately turned his attention back to the blond. His emotions began to swirl inside, like they had that first time he'd touched Bill's hair and had gently pushed stray locks out of his face. The brunet sighed. He remembered what he was thinking in that moment, also. _'...something even more attractive...something more likable.'_

As he continued to stroke the super soft strands of spun gold, he once again got lost in his thoughts, completely forgetting about the movie. _He really is the most attractive person I've ever seen... And he's so sweet and lovable and- Wow, what am I saying?! Ugh... Gees... Why is it so hard for me to just admit it? Should I really care what anyone else thinks? I... Ok, ok. Yes, I like him. There! I said it... Oh crap! I said it! Well, thought it, but it still counts..._

 _I like you, Bill..._ He smiled down at the blond, who stirred a little before drawing in a breath. (Anyone else get deja vu there? No? Just me, huh...)

"I like you, too, Pine Tree." It was very faint, and sweet, and sincere.

And it nearly made Dipper fall off the couch.

 _Did I say that out loud?! No...nonononono...I know for_ certain _I said that in my mind!_   His heart was racing now as Bill slowly opened his eyes and looked up at him, smiling. He didn't realize his fingers were still touching Bill's hair and he hastily retreated his hand.

"No, you didn't say that out loud, but I could hear you," Bill said matter-of-factly.

 _What the fuck?!_ Dipper quickly slapped a hand over his mouth, even though he had only thought this and not said it aloud, as an involuntary reaction thinking that if Bill really could hear his thoughts, he was going to be admonished for the curse word. Bill never responded, though.

"Wait...did you hear me swear just now?"

"No. But if you did-"

"Yes, yes- 'language, Pine Tree'...I know, that's not important right now..." Dipper's voice was hasty and filled with a cross between excitement and concern, because, _Damn! What if he could hear what I'm thinking... that's so frickin' cool! But then...Shit! What if he CAN hear what I'm thinking?!_

"Hey, Pine Tree?" Dipper just hummed, still deep in thought. "What do you mean by attractive?"

That got Dipper's attention immediately. "U-huh, what? Oh...that? Um..." He nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "I-if someone is attractive, i-it means they are desi-desirable...vi-visually speaking, but also with their personality... Um...yeah... s-so, you heard that part, too, huh?" His nervous voice crack and stutter were back in full force. (How adorable.)

Bill just smiled and closed his eyes again.

"Hmm...I'll take that as a 'yes', then... Hey, how are you doing that, anyways? Hear-hearing my thoughts, I mean?"

"Mm...don't know. Just, felt them in my mind," Bill answered, like it was an everyday occurrence; no big deal, really.

"Ok, that doesn't give me much to go on..." Dipper pondered out loud.

Then an idea struck him. He decided to experiment. _Can you hear me now, Bill?_

Nothing. Eyes still closed.

He got his attention by speaking aloud first this time, "Hey...look at me." The blond complied. _Can you hear me now? Gawd...I sound like a stupid cell phone commercial..._ Bill just looked back at him, blankly. _Hmm...nothing. What happened before then... !! Wait..._ Dipper recalled what Bill just told him- ' _Just, felt them in my mind.'_   _Was it the contact?_ He reached down and touched Bill's bare arm, that same strange sensation from before flowing from where their skin met.

Mocha eyes were locked hard onto cerulean blues. _I bet you can hear me now, huh..._

Bill smiled, but didn't answer out loud. _I sure can, Pine Tree._

Dipper's eyes widened in amazement at the voice he could hear in his head. One that did not belong to him. One that belonged to the now human demon resting on his lap.

 _H..o..l..y shhhhh-_ Bill raised an eyebrow, Dipper immediately knowing what was coming...

_As I was going to say earlier, but you cut me off... since it's only you and me that can hear this, I don't mind what you say. I just don't like Mabel getting upset._

Oh. That wasn't quite what he expected. Of course, there was a lot going on at the moment that he never expected.

Add to this the fact that Grunkle Stan had just lumbered into the doorway with a beer can in one hand, his other occupied scratching his abdomen. He took one look at the two boys gazing into each other's eyes; his great nephew with a look on his face that the old man really didn't want to know what it meant. That was more than he needed to decide that he didn't want to go into that room, that there was some other pressing issue to attend to... somewhere else. Anywhere else.  And then he realized, _Ah, shit. Looks like I owe Mabel ten bucks._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who may be wondering... I decided to not be presumptuous and did not give Dipper's favorite movie a title, because I have no idea what it would be and thought it may be more fun if you, the reader, used your imagination (or filled it in with your own favorite). 
> 
> Yeah, this chapter is shorter than normal, but I've had one hell of a week and now that I have a new computer, I have spent way more time than I would have liked editing this damn thing at this site... now I'm in the mood to hurt something.


	12. sUSPICIONS aRE wAKING rEALIZATION

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Acronyms...don't know why I'm so fascinated with them. Oh well, just more goings-on of the Mystery Shack residents, and sorry in advance for the amount of dialogue in this chapter, but it couldn't be helped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Four months. FOUR. FREAKING. MONTHS. I am so sorry for that. All I can say is best summed up in one line of a Twenty One Pilots song: "On my enemies I wouldn't wish who I was".
> 
> Hope this was worth waiting for, though I'm not terribly proud of it. Just be assured that I will not abandon this story. It will be finished. Unless I die. Then it won't be. Nobody who knows me IRL knows that I write this stuff. Well, there is one person...and she's sworn to absolute secrecy.

Next morning at breakfast, the three teens sat around the table, digging in to the food Dipper had made and chatting about the plans of the day.  A small debate played through the younger twin’s mind as to whether or not he should let his sister in on the previous night’s revelation. 

_ ‘So, yeah...I discovered that Bill and I can hear each other’s thoughts... Only works when we make physical contact with each other…  And there’s a certain pleasurable electricity that is experienced at the contact point…’  Yep, she’d have a field day with that information... _

He would, eventually, for sure, just… he really didn’t want the inevitable teasing that would come from such a disclosure.  Her retorts could already be heard buzzing around in his head:  _ ‘Aw, see? You two were meant to be! You’re soulmates, already! Time to plan the wed-’  And that’s quite enough of that, Dipper...sheesh.   _

He thoughtlessly stabbed at the last piece of scrambled egg on his plate as Grunkle Stan trudged into the kitchen in all his hulking ungracefulness.  “Here ya go...ya little thief,” his voice gruff but playful.  The old man reluctantly dropped a ten spot in front of his niece, who snatched up the money and quickly shoved it in her pocket.

Mable smirked, “Never bet against me, boys...not when it comes to the subject of love~”  She winked at her grunkle, who only grunted in response, and continued on with her breakfast as if the whole thing never happened.

Dipper raised an eyebrow at the matter, but decided against questioning it.  He knew it involved his sister winning a bet against his expert con-man of a grunkle, and that he was somehow at the core of said bet, which was all he needed to know.  A quick glance at Bill told him the blond was only interested in the last few crumbs on the plate in front of him, and not at all curious to know about the interaction of the others.   _ Well, at least he can be blissfully unaware... _

“So, what’s the plan today, kiddos?” Stan asked, not even turning to face them as he poured his coffee.

“We were just discussing that,” Dipper offered.  “How long do you need us in the shop today?”

The old man harshly stirred a spoon around in his mug, the metal clanking loudly against the porcelain with each rotation. “Poindexter’s asked me to join him in his dungeon...I mean lab, so depending on how long he’s gonna detain...I mean need me, it might just be a full day for you kids.” 

Dipper thought that unusual, but didn’t ask his grunkle to elaborate.  Stan avoided the basement like the plague, ever since getting his memories back after Weirdmageddon, and would only go down there if Ford specifically asked him, and only then if it was absolutely necessary.  If Stan found out Ford only needed basic assistance that either of the kids could help out with, he would certainly send them, instead.  When Stan, himself, had to go, Dipper knew it was something personal Ford wanted him for; something that he didn’t want to involve the younger set of twins in.

So while it was extremely rare, it was not completely unheard of for Stan to go.  The fact that his grunkle didn’t know exactly how long he’d be down there was what didn’t sit well with Dipper. There was no reason Ford had ever given before that would keep Stan down there longer than a couple of hours, tops...let alone a whole day.

“Um...ok then, we- we’ll plan accordingly,” the teen responded hesitantly, trying hard to hide his suspicion/concern- he really didn’t know which he felt more.  Bill suddenly looked up from his plate at him, having sensed Dipper’s tone, but not saying anything.

“Great,” Stan turned to face the table full of teens, “now hop to it, the shop’s opening soon.”  That was Stan’s way of saying ‘Get the hell outta the kitchen and get to work’, but in a slightly more pleasant way because of the fact that the kids had a guest present.  Give ‘im a few weeks, he’ll be letting go of such niceties and treating Bill just like family.

 

* * *

 

 

“Whaddya sayin’, Sixer? That there’s somethin’ happenin’ around here again?  Should we send the kids home to Piedmont?”  Stanley side-eyed his six-fingered twin, not fully understanding what he was trying to tell him.

“No, no.  I don’t think we need to alarm the kids just yet.  All I know is that my supernatural anomaly and weirdness radar has picked up some strong readings over the last couple of weeks.”

“But isn’t that normal for around here?  Like, there are still strange things livin’ in these woods, right?”

“Yes, Stanley, but this is different.  These readings are too close to home.  Look.  This one, the first and largest, was only 36 meters from the shack.  And this-” he was suddenly cut off by his brother’s exaggerated sighing.

“Ugh...measurements I can relate to, genius.  This is America, most of us don’t understand the metric system…”  

Stanford facepalmed at the interruption.  “Approximately 118 feet, Stanley.  As I was saying… this one here, it’s intensity second only to the first one, is only 46 me- uh, 151 feet from the shack.” Stan just looked at his brother, waiting for him to reveal the part where he should be concerned.  “The other readings have actually come from  _ inside _ the shack.”

Now Stan was concerned.  “Holy shit!  Are you sure?!”

“Language, Stanley.  And yes, I’m positive.”

“Screw my language!  That’s not what’s important here!”  Ford seemed to be in deep thought, then suddenly looked over his data again.  “What- what are you seeing?”

“The timeline.  The day we returned home- the kids said their friend had arrived a couple days prior, correct?”  Not waiting for an answer, he continued, “That’s the day the strongest anomaly occurred.  The second one was the following Sunday, yesterday.  You said the kids went to the creek, correct?”  He didn’t wait for an agreement.  “This occurrence is at the same spot that I know the kids like to go to.”

“So...maybe they saw something?  We should go ask ‘em-”

“Wait, Stanley.  This is where it gets alarming.  The next anomalies, though very small compared to the others, are the ones that occured within the shack, last night.”  Ford mulled over this in his head a moment before questioning his brother, and wanting an answer this time.  “Do you remember anything last night?  Did you see or hear anything out of the ordinary?”

“Uh, let’s see…”  Stan stood there, trying to recall the night in question.  _ Ah, yeah, I remember…I remember walking into the livin’ room to find my nephew and his friend bein’ awfully cozy together on the couch.   _ He shuddered at the memory.

Ford’s eyebrows knit together at his brother’s strange reaction.  “What?  What do you remember?”

“The only thing I remember was, uh… Dipper and his friend on the couch...bein’ a bit more, uh, friendly with each other than I wanted to see.”  Ford picked up on Stan’s discomfort of the recollection, but really couldn’t figure out why.

“What, were they making out or something?” Ford asked casually.

“What?!  No!  I mean, they were just...uh, really close, like William was practically layin’ in Dipper’s lap, and the way those two were lookin’ at each other…  It was weird.  Like they were sharin’ a moment only them two knew about.”

Ford cringed at his brother’s grammar, or maybe it was at what he thought to be Stan’s superfluous reaction to finding out about their nephew’s partner preferences.  “That’s all?  There were no strange lights or sounds or movements?”

“Hey!  It weirded me out!  I don’t wanna walk in on any kids bein’ all friendly like that!  I don’t like surprises...or losing bets.”

“Let me guess...you and Mabel had a wager placed on Dipper’s sexuality,” the older twin said dryly.

“Uh, huh-yeah,” Stan replied sheepishly.

“Well, you should have known better than to bet against Mabel concerning a subject matter that she is clearly dominant in over you.”

“No shit, Poindexter.  Now, aren’t we getting a bit off track here?”

“Oh, yes.  Right.  Uh, we should focus on gathering more information over the next few days.  I don’t want to bring this up to the kids just yet.  Let’s see if any more anomalies come up on the radar, and if so, depending on where and when, we’ll get the kids involved.

At that moment, a blip sounded from the SAWR monitor.  It was the same magnitude as the last one.  And it was coming from right above their heads.

 

* * *

 

It had been a relatively slow day.  Mabel handled tours, but there were only two that came through, leaving her bored most of the day.  There was only so much straightening of shelves, restocking, and dusting that could be done...and she wasn’t about to do any of that, not with Dipper and Bill around to do the menial stuff.  

Yeah, she was still holding those (adorable) photos over Dipper’s head like a Devil’s contract.  Besides actually wanting to cook once in a while, because she loved to show off her creativity, she never did any chores or other inferior work that could easily be passed off to the boys.  Bill happily accepted to help out.  Dipper begrudgingly assumed her workload, resigned to his fate of slave labor to his sister.  

_ I just hope Stan never figures out that I’m doing all of Mabel’s work.  She’d probably show him why in a heartbeat, if she could…oh...no...  Shit!  She only said she’d keep the pictures off of social media and the internet in general, not that she wouldn’t show people in person!  _

The brunet’s face began to flush and heart rate spiked, something Bill caught on to right away.  Poor guy, he was already wondering what he’d done wrong, almost too nervous to ask the other why he was suddenly all worked up.  But he had to know.  He would fix whatever he’d done, make it right, apologize...whatever it took to make his Pine Tree calm down.

“W-what’s the matter?” Bill asked, cautiously awaiting an admonishment to spill from Dipper’s lips at any moment.

“What?” the teen barely mumbled back, almost forgetting that Bill was even present while his mind raced with his previous thoughts.

“You look...upset again.  I-”

Dipper cut him off suddenly, “No, Bill, you didn’t do anything… I just remembered something. I- I gotta go find Mabel.” 

He turned to make a hasty exit in the direction he last saw his sister when a firm grip around his wrist practically yanked him off his feet.  The electrical current flowed from the contact, and surprised eyes met Bill’s face.  Dipper tried to turn off his thoughts, think of something else, but it was too late.  The blond immediately knew what was wrong, and that he was, yet again, the cause of Dipper’s agitation.

“Bill, look...none of this is your fault, ok?  Just, let me go so I can talk to Mabel before she-”  This time, Bill did the interrupting.

“Before she causes you more embarrassment?...more humiliation?...more- other emotions I’m not familiar with but know that I don’t like to see you experiencing?”

Dipper deflated at those words.  He knew he was overreacting again.  He knew he really shouldn’t care what his grunkles thought of him, or anyone else for that matter.  In fact, his life would be so much easier if he didn’t care.  It would certainly be less physically taxing, not having to do everything for his sister.  

If only he could flip on his confidence switch...If only it were that easy.

At that moment, Bill released his hold on Dipper’s wrist, the teen briefly mourning the loss of that sensation that connected their minds.  Not thinking about it, he quickly snatched up the retreating hand in his own, this time it was Bill’s turn to be surprised.  They stood facing each other, Dipper’s cheeks dusted red as he slowly laced their fingers together.

_ You never did tell me how this works, exactly… _

_ I told you I didn’t know...well, more like I can’t remember.  It must be a power I once had.  Ax did say that revealing my past would bring back more of my old self...maybe this is what I got back from him telling me about our bet.   _

_ Yeah, that makes sense.  This only started last night, after meeting and talking with him.  So, does this mean you could hear my thoughts, say, when I’m asleep?  Like, could you hear what I’m thinking in my dreams? _

_ Mm...I don’t think so.  I think both parties have to be aware of the connection.  Do you want me to try that tonight?  I can- _

_ No!  I- I mean...maybe?  I don’t know...that would be weird, wouldn’t it? _

_ Well, that’s the only way to find out.  And you do seem very curious to know… _

_ Yeah, yeah...curiosity is one of my greatest weaknesses.  I always have to know how things work. _

_ So then, let’s give it a try? _

_ Sure...I guess it wouldn’t hurt... _

The sound of a camera shutter snapped the boys’ attention back to their surroundings, Dipper nearly falling over from how startled he was.  A giddy, about to burst into a million giggles, Mabel stood off to their right.  “That was...the cutest...thing...EVER!” she gushed.  

Dipper immediately dropped Bill’s hand and turned fully in his sister’s direction.  “Mabel!!!  You scared the shit outta me!!  Don’t do that!”

“I’m gonna skip the part where I scold you for the language and get straight to what on  _ earth _ were you two doing?!  It’s like you guys were having a whole conversation without even talking!”

Before he could even begin to think about rationalizing this, someone clearing their throat behind him drew his attention that direction. The vending machine door was wide open, twin grunkles standing there, eyes locked on the boys. Dipper’s eyes widened and adrenaline began to surge. 

Stan’s voice wavered a bit as he spoke, “Yeah, kid...what exactly  _ were _ you two doing?”

_Shit!!_ _Why me?!_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to keep reminding me that this is supposed to be a fun, fluffy fic, and not to write too much angst or conflict into it. That is the direction it seems to be heading, though. I promise, nothing too serious will happen.


	13. Tickets, Please...Train to Angstville Has Arrived

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angst happens. Sorry. Not really.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you ready, kids? (No...do NOT start singing the SpongeBob opening song!) Hold on to your emotions, cuz you're going on a feels trip. I know, I know...nobody asked for this, and I kinda left it out of the tags, but hey...surprises can be fun! Especially when the surprise can lead to an emotional train wreck! Yay for surprises!  
> Oh, quit your pouting, it's not that bad.

 

Stanford had been holding a small, electronic device in his hand.  It was a device that simply told him when his SAWR was getting a reading or not by way of a glowing red light. He had been standing in the room long enough to witness the fact that, not only were the boys in the same location the monitor had said the latest reading was coming from, but also that the light on his device went out as soon as Dipper released Bill’s hand.

Oh Ford, why do you have to be so observant…

Dipper didn’t have a chance to even acknowledge Grunkle Stan’s question before Ford spoke up, his eyes laced with displeasure and slight trepidation.  “Dipper, I need to speak to you and William in the basement.  Now.”  His tone was clear, calm, and collected, but Dipper immediately picked up the slightest hint of hesitation when his grunkle said ‘William’, and because of that, he instantly knew of Ford’s suspicions.

He also knew that a trip to the basement would not end well for Bill.  He couldn’t let that happen.  But he had no idea  _ how _ he was going to keep that from happening.  A million thoughts were going through his head at once, all bad ones.  Time seemed to be standing still.  Bill, Mabel, and Stan were frozen where they stood, an unspoken consensus among them that said now was not the best time to speak, move, or otherwise give away the fact that they currently existed in the same room.

“No.”  It was out before he could even think twice about it.  It wasn’t spoken disrespectfully, but it did carry a strong air of opposition.  “If you’ll just let me ex-”

“Dipper,” Ford sternly interrupted, “I know you know what the right thing to do is.”  He began to advance towards the boys with the intent of using physical force if he had to.

Dipper instinctively moved between Bill and his grunkle, assuming a protective stance.  Ford immediately halted, shocked at what he was seeing.  With Ford’s next words, Dipper knew that his grunkle was no longer just suspicious of the blond, but that he knew, indisputably, that it was Bill Cipher.  “You know you’re putting us all in danger, right?!  You have to know that-”

This time Dipper cut him off, “Grunkle Ford, you need to stop and listen to me!  Listen to  _ us _ .  Do you really think I would have put  _ Mabel _ in danger?  Or myself?  Or you and Stan?!  Can you just give me the benefit of the doubt here and just believe me when I tell you that  _ nobody _ is in any danger?”

“You can’t say that with absolute certainty!” the old man spouted as he moved to advance on the boys once again.  But Stan reached out and pulled Ford back towards himself, mumbling something to his twin that Dipper couldn’t quite make out. 

The teen was quickly becoming a wreck; mind and body both twisting into knots and reeling, threatening to shut him down by causing a blackout.  Suddenly, he felt a pleasant surge as one of Bill’s fingertips brushed up against his hand, permitting him to regain some semblance of composure.

_ He’s telling him to listen to you, to let you talk here, with everyone.   _ He spoke through their mental link, wanting to help Dipper in any way he could.  But Bill’s own mind, only moments before, was a flurry of bad thoughts about what the outcome of this confrontation might be. 

_ You don’t get it, Bill...he won’t let this go, no matter how much I talk to him.  No matter what I say, he’s not going to be ok with this...with you!   _ Though conversing with Bill in his mind, he continued to face his grunkles, trying his hardest to steel his nerves and maintain a look of determination.

_ Pine Tree… _ The voice in his head was so gentle, so caring.  He relaxed slightly.   _ You’re judging him before even giving him a chance.  Remember your first reaction to me when you found out who I was?  Shooting Star was your only voice of reason, and you soon saw she was right.  Now you and Star can both be Sixer’s voice of reason. Even Fez appears to be open minded enough to let us all talk this through civilly.   _

_ And what if Ford can’t be reasoned with?  What happens then?!  If he knows you’re fully human, with no way of protecting yourself, he will kill you! _

Bill fell silent for a beat, resigning himself to that scenario becoming his possible fate.   _ Well, if he believes that death is fitting punishment for my past crimes... then so be it. _

With those words, Dipper whirled around to face Bill, shouting, “No!  I won’t let that happen!”

Ford raised an eyebrow at this sudden event, but didn’t react as surprised as Stan and Mabel.  Those two nearly jumped out of their skin at Dipper’s outburst.  The old man had experienced enough in his time to know mental communication when he saw it.

“So...you two have a telepathic bond, then...”  It was more of a statement than a question, as Ford already knew the answer.

Dipper turned back to face his grunkles, nodding slowly.  Mabel could be heard gasping in awe over the revelation, and one could almost hear her fangirling thoughts squealing about her head as she stood staring at the boys.  Then it occurred to her- _That little sneak!  He didn’t let me in on this?  Oooh, I’m gonna have some words with him… Whoa,_ _stay cool, Mabel...now is definitely not the time,_ she inwardly reminded herself.

“Hm.  Then that would be what the radar was picking up just now,” Ford thought out loud to himself.  “It certainly explains the smaller readings, but there was a larger one earlier yesterday…,” he paused to address Dipper directly, “You need to be honest with me, Dipper... What significant event occurred yesterday?”

Dipper hesitated.  He didn’t know if he could explain what happened with Axolotl; if Bill would be upset about him even revealing his existence.  He turned back to make contact with Bill again, wanting to get his input before responding to Ford, but was disrupted by said grunkle’s stern voice.

“Don’t, Dipper.  I’m already having a hard enough time with this.  Going against my better judgement, I will concede to discussing the situation up here, with everyone else around, but I must insist on having full disclosure.  If I am to believe anything you say, I have to know that you’re not being influenced by...  _ him _ .”

The teen sighed, knowing full well that this was a reasonable condition.  “Ok, Grunkle Ford.  That’s fair.”  He backed away from Bill, but not too far.  “Can we at least go and sit down in the living room to talk?”

Ford agreed and everyone silently made their way to the other room.  Mabel took the center of the couch, patting the seat to her right for Bill, but Ford insisted he sit on the floor, away from the twins.  Dipper didn’t like this request, but relaxed some when he saw Stan position himself between Ford and Bill.  The older twins remained standing, something Dipper didn’t appreciate as it made him feel like he was going to be talked down to.  He decided against protesting this, however, and then took the seat to his sister’s right, closer to where Bill was sitting, and farther from Ford.  

Mabel cringed at the raw tension between her brother and her grunkle that she could feel herself being figuratively slapped with.  She couldn’t hold back any longer and had to say something.  “O~kay, I think we all need to chill here!”  Her exuberance cut into the stale air, all persons present flinching slightly at the unexpected outburst.  Resolve never faltering, she continued, “I don’t know how much longer I can tolerate this.  You’re behaving like rival gang members who can’t trust each other!  Dipper, this is still Grunkle Ford, he wouldn’t hurt anyone without just cause.  And Grunkle Ford, this is still Dipper, he wouldn’t put anyone he loves in danger.”

“Not knowingly, no,” Ford semi-agreed.  Dipper suddenly looked very insulted.

“Are you insinuating that I don’t know what I’ve involved myself in?  That I’m treading blindly here?  That I’m going off of some sort of unsubstantiated hope that I didn’t pull my family into the hands of the old Bill Cipher?  Because I know better than that, Grunkle Ford...and I thought that you  _ knew _ that I know better.”

“You’re right, Dipper.  I thought that you knew better than to get involved with this  _ demon _ again.”  

Bill cringed upon hearing himself being referred to as a demon.  As Ford continued to give every last reason as to why Bill Cipher needed to be vanquished, once and for all, and Dipper continued to argue back about how he was no longer  _ that _ Bill Cipher, the blond began to get lost in his own thoughts.

_ Maybe Sixer is right.  Maybe I should be destroyed...if I’ve done such things as he’s saying I’ve done.  I don’t want to cause a rift in this family… rift, where have I heard that before… _  Just as he was thinking this, the words ‘dimensional rift’ and ‘destroy our dimension like he did his own’ floated into his ears from Ford’s direction.  He instantly sensed something...something was off.   _ Oh no...he’s revealing too much of my past!  Stop...stop him, now! _

But the feeling he felt was too pleasant, too captivating, and he couldn’t bring himself to speak up.  It was a feeling of control...  _ I had control over anyone’s mind. _ Of power…  _ I had incredible power. _  Of knowledge... _ I knew lots of things. _  And of near limitless capability…  _ I could do almost anything. _  A promise of unlimited potential and complete omniscience if only... _ Wierdmageddon.  I had everything... _  This was a good feeling, and it was becoming more addictive with every revealing word that spilled from Ford’s oblivious mouth.

In the middle of another excuse being spouted from his grunkle, Dipper looked over to Bill, wondering how he was holding up through all of this.  He paled when he saw the strange, almost dead looking expression on Bill’s face.   _ Oh shit…! _

“Ford stop talking!!”  Everyone looked at Dipper, confused at the sudden panicked outburst.  “No...nonono… Bill!”   The teen crouched down in front of him, waving a hand in his face, but refraining from touching him as he agreed he wouldn’t.  Ford instinctively moved to force Dipper to back away, still not convinced any of them were safe in Bill’s proximity, but Stan held him back, again.  “Bill?!  Can you hear me?”  If Bill could hear him, he gave no indication, remaining in his trance-like state.

Desperation overcame the teen, and he placed both hands on Bill’s shoulders, shaking gently.  No response.  He slowly moved his hands to Bill’s face, each palm coming to rest against each cheek.  Instead of the expected mild energy surge, Dipper was jolted with a harsh shock.  He flinched slightly, doing his best to not let anyone else become aware of the stinging pain coursing through him.

Both concerned and furious voices could be heard drifting around him, Mabel’s and Ford’s respectively. “What is happening, Dipper?  Is he ok?” came from Mabel while “Dipper! Get away from him!  I told you not to touch him!” was barked by Ford, who struggled against his brother’s bulky arms still holding him back.  

Dipper didn’t pay any attention to them, however.  Focusing on the voice he could hear in his mind was more important at the moment.  

Bill was still having an internal conversation with himself; one side of him basking in his former identity and longing to get it back, the other trying to break away from it and return to his present reality.  A reality with...  _ family. _ _ People who truly care about me, who want me to be with them.  An existence with real feelings and emotions. _

Bill immediately felt the power when Dipper placed his hands on his face.  His thoughts quickly ended, and he continued his dead stare through the person kneeling in front of him.  Awareness that someone, but not quite sure of who, was with him in his mind flooded in with the flow of power.  He remained silent.

Dipper spoke as soon as Bill’s voice stopped.   _ Bill?  Can you still hear me? _  An echoing laugh, all too familiar, rang out in response.

_ Hey!  It’s Pine Tree! _ _ Your old pal, Bill Cipher’s back!  Did ya miss me?  Admit it...you missed me! _  Dipper didn’t like the sound of that.   _ Obviously I can hear you, kid.  Master of the mind and all…?  Sheesh, you fleshbags forget so easily. _

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  It was all Dipper could do to hold back the tears.   _ No!...no, that’s not you anymore.  You’re human now, like us… remember?  You lost the bet with Ax...and he brought you back as one of us...and... _

Bill interrupted, his old snark back in full force.   _ Sure, sure, kid.  I remember all that.  I’m not an idiot.  But I also remember what I was...what I had… _ then Bill’s voice turned frighteningly bitter; dark and resonating in Dipper’s head-  **_WHAT YOU AND YOUR WORTHLESS FAMILY TOOK AWAY FROM ME!_ **   And suddenly, his voice became small again, and just...frightened.   _ No!  No, I didn’t mean that!  Pine Tree, what’s happening to me?  I want out...I don’t want to go back! _

Dipper silently thanked every deity that his Bill, er, um...ahem…that  _ the new _ Bill, still existed.  (Oh, who are ya foolin’, Dips...he’s  _ your _ Bill.)

_ Shhh...it’s ok, Bill.  I’ll help you.   _ We _ will help you...Mabel and I...we’re going to do everything we can! _ _ It’s going to be ok.  _  He almost said this more to subdue his  _ own _ fears than Bill’s.  A full-on panic attack could be felt growing in his mental background.

_ You can do NOTHING!  You’re insignificant meatsacks who got LUCKY!  When I get my hands on you I’m going to rip y-    _ **_ENOUGH!_ ** _ STOP THIS, CIPHER!  I AM MY OWN PERSON...I KNOW WHAT I WANT... _ **_AND I WANT TO BE FREE OF MY PAST!_ **

Bill suddenly went limp, Dipper having to catch him before he fell over onto the floor.  A flood of anxiety washed over the brunet, drenching him with tension.  But a quick check of vitals told him all he needed to know.  A steady, rhythmic heartbeat could be felt; a slowly rising and falling chest indicated stable breathing.  Dipper relaxed a bit.

Everyone in the room fell silent, not even Ford had anything to say, probably because he knew he wouldn’t get any answers anytime soon.  Still concerned for his family’s safety, though, he turned to head to his lab with every intention of collecting what he needed to bind Bill until he knew exactly what was going on, but a flash of golden light coming from the aquarium (why _does_ that thing still have water in it?!) caught his eye.

“Uh... when did we get a glowing axolotl?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See? That wasn't so bad. And look...Ax is back! That can only help the situation, right? Right.


	14. So Worth It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for this sweet and fluffy fic to come to a close.

 

To say that Dipper was relieved at the sight of the golden being would be the understatement of, well, probably of all time.  The tension leaving his body almost caused him to let fall the still unconscious blond he was holding, and as a result he held him closer, unbelievably grateful that Bill would likely not be forced from his arms by his grunkle now that the salamander deity had shown up.

Ax emerged from the tank, slipped down the side, and landed on his back legs on the floor.  He glanced around the room, giving a courteous smile and nod at the younger twins, but dropped the smile and planted a troubled look in its place as his eyes stopped on Ford.  Said man was frozen where he stood, mouth slightly agape.

“Please, do not continue down to your lab,” Ax started, words gentle yet assertive.  “You would do well, Stanford, to listen to your grandniece and grandnephew. They possess some special and unique qualities among humans.  The ability to discern the hearts of other humans is one of them.”

Ford really didn’t know how to respond to this creature who seemed to know everything about him and his family, but of whom he knew absolutely nothing.  “How- Who- What are you? H-how do you know so much about us?” Dipper looked quizzically at Ford, who almost never faltered in his words, but was obviously struggling now.

“I am a being of exact similarity to Cipher, with the exception of his past arrogance and foolish behavior.  You can see how well that served him. I was sensible enough to stay out of the affairs of mankind. He was not.  All you need to know, Stanford,” he turned and made eye contact with the other twin, “and you as well, Stanley, is that we made a bet thousands of years ago, Bill lost, I kept him from obliteration when you bested him, and brought him back as a human, with no memory of his past, so that he might understand them better.”

“Human?  So, he doesn’t have any power, then?” Ford asked skeptically.  Ax shook his head in the negatory. “Then why does he have a telepathic bond with my nephew?!”  Ford’s voice was not only becoming irritated, but accusatory as well.

“Yes, that,” Ax began calmly.  “The more he learned about his past, the more power he regained.” Apprehension washed over Ford’s face.  “There is no need to fear him, Stanford. He has already made his choice as to whether or not he allows his old self to return.  Your own ramblings just a little while ago brought enough back to remind him of what he once was, and what he could once again be.  He tasted his old power, but has made the decision to reject it.”

Ford’s past experiences with the dream demon would not allow him to believe this, as old habits have a tendency to die hard.  “You cannot know that to be the ultimate truth!” the old man stubbornly countered.

He continued to argue his point of how Bill Cipher simply could not be trusted, and therefore needed to be banished from this existence.  Of course, Axolotl would never stand idly by and let that happen to his friend. Still, he did want Ford to come to his own positive conclusion about Bill, and not force the human’s feelings otherwise.  After all, forced decisions never change someone’s heart, but rather more ardently convince them to hold on to their original choice.

“Stanford Pines, you do not know me, and therefore do not have any logical reason to trust me, and so I will not ask you to do that.  I will, however, ask that you trust your family; have faith in them and what they feel to be true. The family who has unconditional love and trust in you- a brother who toiled for thirty years to bring you back no matter the danger, a grandniece and nephew who instantly accepted you as a great uncle to be loved and adored as they do Stanley- they are the ones you need to trust.”

Ford scanned the room, eyes meeting those of his twin brother, his grandniece, and finally his grandnephew.  Every face held the same look; told the same story- ‘Trust us, it will be ok.’ He sighed heavily, knowing it was what he should do.  Then his eyes fell on the blond; the limp, feeble human body still being held lovingly, and protectively, in his nephew’s arms. Maybe it would be ok...maybe Bill Cipher could be a normal, decent human being.  But there was so much at risk, the stakes were very high.

“Dipper,” he began softly, “do you understand the gamble you are taking here?  With your life? With the whole world? Are you willing to risk it all, _everything_ , on...on Bill Cipher?”

Dipper looked over at his sister, her smiling face telling him what he already knew.  With deep confidence he answered, “Yes, Grunkle Ford, I am.”

The old man’s posture slackened as he dragged a six-fingered hand down his face in acquiescence.  “Ok then. If this is what you all want, I will not… do anything to him.”

The room fell reverently silent.  Dipper hugged Bill a little closer to himself. Mabel brimmed with excitement at what this all meant for her brother and their once-enemy. Stan, well, Stan stood there with mostly a look of indifference.  He never was one for wearing his feelings on the outside.

Before leaving the room, Ford had one more concern to voice.  “Can you take away the power he now has? All of it?” he directed at the golden salamander.

“I am able to do that, but only if Bill allows me.  I cannot do anything to him that is not first agreed upon.  Not because I am incapable, but because I believe he should have the choice.”  Ford nodded in acknowledgement, but wasn’t very thrilled about that little insight.  Sensing the concern, Ax added, “I will stay close by until Cipher has woken, then I will discuss that with him, and act in accordance to his wishes.”  The salamander’s words were not very reassuring, though, to the man who had just conceded himself, his family, and the whole world to the entity he had fought so long to keep from it all.  He left the room, headed for the only place he knew to find solace in his weary existence- his private study.

* * *

 

When Dipper looked down again, for possibly the thousandth time in the last hour, he finally saw what he was looking for- Pure cerulean staring back up at him.  After Ford had gone, Dipper moved up to the couch to get comfortable, not knowing how long it would be before Bill woke up. He sat at one end, against the arm of the couch, the blond lying with his head on his lap. When Bill first went out, Dipper lost the mental connection with him, and since he looked to be merely sleeping, didn’t try to reconnect.  He was almost scared to, anyway, not sure he’d like what he would hear, and so was careful to not brush up against any bare skin, or run his fingers through his hair. It was a great show of will power on Dipper’s part, because, oh how he would have loved to touch...everything…

He was well distracted, though, as he had a lot to talk about with a certain sister who needed to know every little detail of their _love_ _connection_ , as she called it.  She just sat on the floor, listening to him talk, and watching him as he watched for any sign of Bill waking up.  About once every five seconds, she estimated to herself, was how often Dipper would look down at Bill’s sleeping face.

Mabel had finally left the room after forty-five or so minutes, much to Dipper’s relief.  He loved his sister, really, but was finding it difficult, especially after the day’s events, to keep up with her incessant chatting once he was done doing his own share of talking.  So it was just him and Bill, alone together, when the once-demon finally opened his eyes.

“Hey, sleepyhead...thought you would never-” he was cut off by the sudden very disturbing look of fear that sprung from the beautiful eyes. “Bill? W-what’s wrong?”

The blond sat up sharply, swung his feet to the floor, and peered about the room as if searching for a lethal predator he was expecting to pounce on him at any moment.  He looked back at Dipper. “Pine...Tree?” He sounded almost unsure of himself. “What’s happened? Is everything ok now?” Then he became more frantic. “Please...please tell me you’re real...I’m real...we’re still here in the shack and everything’s ok…”

“Whoa!...shhhh…” Dipper reached out and wrapped up the terrified man with his arms.  “It’s ok, Bill...yes, I-I’m real, we’re all still here. You’re still here, with us...with me.”  Bill buried his face in Dipper’s neck, breathing in his comforting, familiar smell, and returned the embrace.  He melted at the overwhelming feeling of warmth and love and reassurance, the likes of which he had never known before.  A pleasant surge of energy passed between them.

“Pine Tree…” the muffled words struggled to be spoken against the boy he was so close to, so he decided against physically speaking. _I-I couldn’t find you...you were gone...and I was alone.  Don’t- please...don’t ever leave me. I don’t want to be alone again._

_I’m sorry Bill.  I wasn’t gone, I was right here the whole time.  I wouldn’t...I won’t ever leave you. I promise._

Bill’s whole being swelled with a feeling he couldn’t name. He wanted...wanted to- he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do, but knew he wanted to do something. _Had_ to do something. Something to express how he was feeling, but what? Then he remembered something he and Mabel talked about briefly.

He backed up a bit from Dipper, who was a bit sad to lose the embrace, but remained almost nose to nose, keeping his eyes locked on him.  “I-I don’t know how else to show you how I feel, so- so I hope you won’t be upset with me, but…” Then he leaned in the short distance, and gently brought their lips together. The brunet startled at first, but then relaxed and relished the feeling of the warm mouth pressed against him.  He closed his eyes, relaxing into the warmth.

Neither of them heard the giggles gently spilling from the girl in the entryway of the room, but Dipper did catch the click of Mabel’s phone forever immortalizing their first kiss.

“Mabel!” he shouted as a blur of brown hair and brightly colored clothing darted off.  A sheepish face peeked around the wall a few seconds later. His glare dropped to a warm smile. “Send me a copy of that one, will ya sis,” he winked. She squealed in joy and ran off again.

“So, you’re not upset that I did that, then?” Bill asked cautiously. Dipper turned back to face him, pulling him in for another sweet, affectionate kiss.

“Does that answer your question?”  Bill simply smiled and nodded. At that moment, Ax appeared in the tank again, and again slid out and onto the floor. “Oh, right...there’s something you need to discuss with Ax.”

Bill turned his attention to his old friend, who smiled knowingly back at him. “So, I see I was correct about the boy… But all self-lauding aside, we do have something serious to discuss, Cipher.” Bill didn’t like the sound of that, but gestured to his friend to continue. “Due to the fact that he still does not trust you- but really, who can blame him for everything he went through- Stanford has requested I remove all power you have regained, so that you will be completely human, and will pose no more threat to this world than any other human is capable of. This is entirely your choice, of course, as I will not oblige you to do anything you do not want to do of your own free will.”

Bill held up his hand, only now realizing a sense of newly attained power. A small blue flame ignited in his palm, grew bigger, and then suddenly went out again as he snapped his hand into a tight fist. “I don’t want it,” he stated firmly. “If this is what needs to be done, to assure I can stay here, stay with this family, then I will let you take it from me.”

“W-wait,” Dipper spoke up in haste, “what does that mean for him, like, what happens if he gets hurt, or-or dies?”

Ax contemplated very carefully how he would answer this question, knowing it could have a very adverse effect on both boys. He did know lots of things, but not everything. Not even he knew, exactly, what would happen to Bill’s soul if and when his human form died. He did know that he would always be able to find it, though, as they were eternally bonded. What would become of his being, however, was something he could not answer. Transferring him from one form to another was within his capabilities, but to create a new form from nothing, well, even Axolotl could not do what only The Creator could.  

He sighed and gave the only answer he felt was necessary for them both to hear. “Being fully human, with no chance to go back to your old being, the same will happen to you that happens to all other humans. Your soul will leave the dead vessel. Since you and I are eternally bonded, I will be able to find you, wherever you end up, but I cannot say what will ultimately become of you.”

Dipper’s heart grew heavy. He didn’t want Bill to enter into something, at the end of which was a gaping hole of uncertainty. “Bill, you don’t have to do this.” He stood and walked over to the window, staring blankly into the forest beyond. “I don’t want you to...regret your decision, or resent us for-”

“Pine Tree,” Bill interjected, now standing at his side, “I would never regret doing this, or resent you or your family.  This is something I want to do.”

“You’re taking a chance with your own immortality, y-your infinite wisdom and power! You might never get that back!  A-and for what? For one measly, insignificant human lifetime?! That’s insane, Bill! You had everything before...so much power and knowledge of the universe! You could do nearly anything, anywhere, any _time_!  And now that you know what it’s like to be human and no longer want to destroy us, think of all the good you could do for this planet!”

Bill tensed up, emotions swirling that he feared he would lose control over.  “And what happens if I go back to being the _old_ Bill Cipher? What happens to you all then?! I don’t want that! Right here, right now...I would rather gamble with my own life, than all of yours…” Bill reached for Dipper’s hand, forcing the teen to look at him with his other. “I’ve never known emotions and feelings like this before. What if I were to forget them? What if I never was able to feel them again? I-I could end up burning this entire dimension…”

“Bill,” Dipper tried to reassure, “you won’t do tha-”

“I’ve done it before!!” the blond cried, becoming more and more disturbed with himself.  “I’m...I’m sorry. To be able to stay with you...and Star…even if only for a short amount of time…  I want that. I want to be able to say that I had a family, people who loved me...people who I truly loved in return.”

Dipper tried to consider everything Bill was telling him; an attempt to make sense of what he only saw to be nonsensical.  Bill was chaos. He was discord. He hated everything humanity was; was once everything that decent humanity wasn’t. But he couldn’t make any sense of it, because, when you really think about it, life and the decisions we make can be just plain stupid.  But illogical or not, it was what Bill wanted. And he couldn’t help but get a warm, fuzzy feeling deep down from thinking he had played a part in Bill’s decision.

“Ok, Bill. If it’s really what you want, then I- I won’t stop you.”  As if from nowhere, Dipper began to chuckle, which turned into a full-blown hearty laugh.

Bill looked at him, confused. “What? Did I- did I miss something, here?”

Dipper just grabbed hold of him and hugged him tight.  “Oh, it’s nothing...just, well-” He hesitated, building up to a dramatic,  “It’s funny how dumb you are.” He let go, gave him a big kiss on his cheek, and turned to Ax. “Do what you need to do, Axolotl.”

Bill just smiled and touched a finger to Dipper’s forehead. _Good one, Pine Tree. I’ll have to remember that._  Dipper was about to respond when the energetic feeling of their mental bond suddenly ceased.

“Aw.  I’m gonna miss that,” the brunet playfully pouted.

“Yes, I will, too,” Bill said as he pulled his favorite human closer to him.  “But missing out on that is much better than missing out on _you_.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with me through this. Sorry it took longer for updates than I would have liked, but that's life...  
> Leave me a comment!

**Author's Note:**

> Please...any comments are truly appreciated. If you took the time to read, take the time to let me know what you thought. :)  
> Thanks!


End file.
